Dancing With Memories
by Lady Henrietta
Summary: AU, COMPLETE: A new threat comes to Hogwarts, bringing someone Severus never expected to see again. Can he come to terms with his feelings for an old friend as Albus and Minerva research the threat and their relationship while trying to help Severus? SSO
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, and ideas (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. All Elf-related topics, the Elvish language, references to staff magic, and any other Lord of the Rings nouns belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and the Elvish dictionary at Nevrast. The titles of the chapters were inspired by "Once Upon a December" from the cartoon movie _Anastasia_.

Dancing with Memories

Chapter 1: The approaching storm.

_Smoke surrounded him completely like gauze around a lamp being shipped somewhere. The acrid smell of death was in the air and he found himself sitting on soggy grass. He held her in his arms and knew instinctively that she was dying. Bleeding wounds appeared on her stomach, neck, and shoulders. He felt her warm blood ooze onto him from where he held her. "Help me, my Severus," was her dying request that he knew he could not comply with._

Severus Snape woke in a cold sweat, sitting up in his bed and looking around the room. Bathed in only comfortable darkness, he noted that he was still alone and glanced at his digital clock. The red numbers told him that it was only 5:00, but he decided to make himself a cup of tea, not wanting to deal with the nightmare again.

As he sat in his bathrobe, waiting for the tea to cool, he allowed himself to ponder the nightmare. _I haven't had that one in five years. I wonder what brought it on. It would have been better if we had learned what had happened to her, but it is time I finally put the episode behind me_, he thought to himself. He finished the tea and realized upon walking around the room a bit that something did not feel right. Harry Potter had defeated Voldemort over the summer and a new school term had begun. However, something was amiss, as if time itself were holding its breath. He quickly shrugged off the thought and stepped into his shower.

Later that afternoon, Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore sat playing chess. "I cannot believe that the new term has already begun. It is most refreshing to be teaching without the threat of Voldemort looming over our heads. Rook to h4," Minerva commented.

"Quite right, my dear. This should be one of our best years. Knight to c6," Albus added.

She looked at the board and sighed heavily. "That is the problem. Pawn to f3."

"Bishop to b5. What troubles you?" he inquired.

"This all seems far too easy. Perhaps I've been talking with Severus too much. I have this feeling that we are waiting for the next disaster. Rook to h5," she expressed.

She had not noticed where Albus' bishop was in correspondence to hers. "I'm certain that you are only being cynical. My dear, your worries are affecting your game; I haven't come this close to beating you in nearly thirty years. Bishop to f1."

Sighing again, she folded her hands in her lap. "I'm sorry, Albus. I just wish that this feeling of dread would go away."

He stood and walked over to her. "Much has happened over the last year and I believe your paranoia will dissipate in time. But you must…" he trailed off when he reached out to touch her cheek. "Minerva, you're flushed. Are you feeling alright?

She smiled softly and kissed his hand. "Yes, I'm just tired. Certain things take a while to heal."

"My dear, are you certain that you're up to teaching this year?" he asked with concern. She nodded adamantly.

"I most definitely am. Those students are what has kept me going half of the time," she answered with a confident smile.

"And what about the other half of the time?" he probed with a kind smirk.

She raised an eyebrow. _I wonder what he could be hinting at. No, it's not possible that he could see me in such a light, as much as I might wish it_. "You, of course," she told him in a reserved tone.

He was about to reply when he notice a large grey owl at the window. "Albus, doesn't that owl belong to the Ministry of Magic?" she inquired.

"I do believe it does," he stated as he let the owl into his office and untied the parchment attached to its leg. His eyes widened in surprise as he read the note. Then he handed it to Minerva and she read it aloud.

"Dear Headmaster Dumbledore and Deputy Headmistress McGonagall, the Ministry of Magic has decided to inform you both of an unfortunate event. An ancient, hidden storage room was broken into four days ago and certain items from the older days of magic were stole. The items include, but are not limited to the staff of Saruman the many-coloured and all-seeing orb. Because the items have a connection to the Middle Earth period, we are sending you our best expert on the subject. She will be coming form Wales by floo network shortly after you have received this letter," Minerva finished.

"It is a pity that the letter does not tell us how Hogwarts is connected to Middle Earth," Albus remarked.

Minerva's brow furrowed. "I don't even recall reading about Middle Earth in any history books, considering that our only knowledge of it came from that Elvish professor we had all those years ago. Someone has a great deal of explaining to do."

Suddenly a rush of air and soot came from the fireplace and a woman stood in front of them. Both of them stared at her, open-mouthed, not expecting to ever see that particular woman again. "Perhaps I can clarify a few matters," the woman said. As they continued to stare at her, she spoke again. "You two look as though you've seen a ghost."

After an hour of intense conversation, Albus and Minerva decided to owl Severus. Minerva spoke after the owl was on its way. "Do you think we should have told him in the letter? As it is, he will be quite shocked at this development," she inquired.

"It is better that he finds out by seeing her himself. He would not likely believe anything we could possibly tell him about all this," Albus responded.

Severus had just distributed a quiz to his last class of the day. His second-year Potions students looked as terrified as ever, knowing that they only had ten minutes until the class would end. As the Potions Master sat down, he glanced at a well-read slip of paper that he had laminated. _Remember, Severus, it doesn't matter which teaching methods you use. The important thing is to see that they learn the material sufficiently, this you must stick to_. It had been a gift from someone who chose to see his potential. As the bell rang, he looked up to see an owl fly into the room and landed on his floor.

"Well, what do we have here?" he asked the Headmaster's barn owl, untying the parchment.

_Severus, _

_It is crucial that you come to Albus' study immediately. There is a matter of personal safety for the school, and a personal matter pertaining to you._

_ Always watchful,_

_ Minerva_

She had a habit of ending her letters that way, but he appreciated the concern both she and Albus shared for him, though he had tried on several occasions to deter them from caring so much. He hastily left the classroom and sauntered toward the Headmaster's study.


	2. Figures dancing gracefully

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, and ideas (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. All Elf-related topics, the Elvish language, references to staff magic, and any other Lord of the Rings nouns belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and the Elvish dictionary at Nevrast. The titles of the chapters were inspired by "Once Upon a December" from the cartoon movie _Anastasia_.

Chapter 2: Figures dancing gracefully across my memory.

As the somber, melancholy Potions Master sauntered through the corridor, he passed the trophy case and then the plaque. He sighed involuntarily, not needing to read the plaque to know what its engraved message read:

_In tribute to the brave service of Professor Heryn O'Sheen, Potions Mistress of Hogwarts, who in defense of the school was missing in action._

He could not dispel the bitter taste in his mouth as he allowed himself to think of her for only a moment. That one stolen moment caused him more mental anguish than he would ever admit to. Finally suppressing his morbid thoughts and the nightmare to the back of his mind, he entered the study.

Nothing could have sufficiently prepared him for the sight that met his eyes. She was sitting in the room, sitting there, as if it were the most normal thing in the world to do. Her copper hair had been pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck, revealing her Elvish ears. Her violet eyes only glanced at him as if he were a momentary distraction. He felt as though his heart had skipped a beat and his breath had stopped. Taking a few steps back to compose himself, he looked at Albus and Minerva.

"I would like a word with one of you, now please!" he demanded in an even tone.

Minerva walked over to him and they stepped outside of the room. "What the bloody hell is going on? She's dead!" he interrogated.

The Transfiguration professor placed a hand on his shoulder, attempting to calm him down. "It's a rather long story, but if you recall correctly, she was missing in action. Though we assumed her to be dead, she was actually in a hospital with amnesia. She has no knowledge of her past here, or any of us," Minerva explained rationally.

Severus glared at her in frustration. "And why couldn't you bloody tell me instead of letting me just walk in there?"

"I know you're upset, Severus, but it was better this way. Now please, let's go back. We've much to discuss," she persuaded. He reluctantly complied and sat in a chair across from the woman he had recognized.

"Ah, now that we are all here, I feel the need to make the necessary introductions. Moira, meet our Potions Master, Severus Snape. Severus, meet Moira, expert on Elvish culture and Middle Earth history. She has been researching Middle Earth and old staff magic, and is here to assist us with our problems," Albus introduced.

Severus nodded in acknowledgment of the guest and tried not to stare too much. "And I suppose that next you'll enlighten us about these problems, Albus?"

The aged wizard nodded. "We have a new enemy to watch for, someone we were previously unaware of. Perhaps you would care to explain better?" he asked the woman.

She nodded. "This land we are on was once Middle Earth. Important battles were fought here, but have long since been forgotten. Those were in the days of staff magic, which, as we know, is more powerful than wand magic and was banned for the greater good. A few artifacts are hidden and stowed in certain locations. One old storage room was recently broken into and several important items were stolen. Someone is trying to evoke the destruction in the old ways, you see."

The Potions Master's brow furrowed. "I know about all that, but what the deuce does any of it have to do with Hogwarts?"

The Elvish woman eyed him with understanding and reached into her leather duffle bag sitting on the floor. She removed an old map with unfamiliar names and the others gathered around her as she placed it on the coffee table. "New information we have collected showed that Hogwarts was built on top of where Isenguard once stood. And what you would call the Forbidden Forest was once Fangorn Forest. Whoever stole the artifacts from the storage room is headed here thinking that there are things worth finding in this place or on the property."

"And just what, may I ask, are we planning to do about all this?" Severus questioned.

Albus met the younger man's penetrating stare with a patient one. "I thought you might ask that. You and Moira are to work together in an effort to protect the school using older magic while the Ministry of Magic attempts to track down the thief. Minerva and I will be looking into that part as well as checking on your progress. I recommend that you two begin in the forbidden section of the library."

"And I recommend that we all start on this matter as soon as possible," Minerva added.

Severus nodded. "That would probably be a good idea," he paused before continuing. "Might I ask where our _guest_ will be staying?"

The Headmaster placed his hand on his neck, as if massaging it, but then for a moment it looked as though he had moved an invisible chain from around his neck. "I think you know, Severus."

The younger man reached back and felt the chain around his neck in an automatic gesture. Minerva took one last look at the map before speaking. "I suggest we begin the effort to unearth this problem as soon as possible."

Albus nodded. "Then this meeting is adjourned," he stated. He gently placed a hand on Minerva's shoulder as the other two left, wanting to speak with her further.

The Elvish woman wondered why the Potions Master had spent the entire meeting staring at her intently. As soon as she had walked through the door, a hand grabbed her forearm and she wheeled around to face the man about whom she had been curious.

"Heryn," he said almost breathlessly. His eyes seemed to absorb every inch of her face reverently.

(my sincerest apologies for the confusion with the summary, it was cut off so I had to redo it; my thanks to Always Hopeful and Quill of Minerva for reviewing :D)


	3. Far away, long ago

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, and ideas (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. All Elf-related topics, the Elvish language, references to staff magic, and any other Lord of the Rings nouns belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and the Elvish dictionary at Nevrast. The titles of the chapters were inspired by "Once Upon a December" from the cartoon movie _Anastasia_. Professor Heryn O'Sheen is mine. A function from _Microsoft Word_ is alluded to.

Chapter 3: Far away, long ago.

Mortified, she attempted to squirm out of his grasp. "Professor Snape, what are you doing? Who is Heryn?"

He let her go, but locked his eyes with hers, scrutinizing her. "Heryn, it's been so long. I need to know what happened to you. I see you standing here before me, but this is impossible. I saw you fall in the battle. I should have known something was out of place eight years ago when we couldn't find your body."

After his shocking declaration, her breath caught in her throat and confusion filled her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I really don't know whom or what you are talking about. I woke up in a muggle hospital bed eight years ago and I don't remember anything that happened before that moment. They couldn't find my family or any other information to my identity so I've been going by 'Moira.' I deduced that they were muggles when they found my wand and asked me about Halloween. I have spent these past years working in Wales, studying and reconstructing Middle Earth history."

"What did they think of your ears?" he inquired, taking a step toward her.

She raised an eyebrow. "They simply figured that the ears were an odd family trait."

"I suppose that idea worked because you are only half-Elvish. You must have gotten amnesia from your injuries or you would have come back," he deduced.

She took a deep breath, wondering for a moment what the Potions Master wanted from her. "Are you implying that I used to live here?"

"I am not implying that you used to live here; I'm telling you that this place was once your home," he commented.

Her brow furrowed. "Please excuse my confusion. This is a bit much to swallow. I've wondered about my previous life, but I never expected to simply walk into it. Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall did not tell me much, but what you have just revealed would explain the strange way they looked at me when I first arrived."

"You cannot remember anything past the hospital?" he probed.

She shook her head and sighed. "I have no idea who I was before I woke up. You seem to know though. I admit that you have my curiosity; care to enlighten a very befuddled Elf?"

_That phrase was a favourite of hers. She still has the same expressions, yet she doesn't remember_, he thought to himself. "You were Professor Heryn O'Sheen, Potions Mistress at Hogwarts. You took over when the other Potions Master retired during my seventh year and you were the only…" he trailed off, debating how much he should tell her.

She had been listening patiently and noticed his reluctance. "Do go on please," she urged.

"You were the only professor that ever took a genuine interest in me, the only one who thought that I had any real potential for something other than the Dark Arts. You wanted to give me a chance, but I was an idiot and joined the deatheaters instead," he said quietly.

There was something familiar about his dark eyes and the way he made such a powerful admission of past wrongs to her. She realized that he would never have done such a thing for just anyone. She found her voice again and asked, "What was the battle you spoke of?"

"Most people don't talk about this particular insurgence, as if it had no relevance at all. They think it was not important because it was after Voldemort's first fall. Potter had not yet come to Hogwarts, but the old deatheaters sensed that their master would make a comeback soon. They were headed toward Hogwarts disguised as officials from the Ministry of Magic. It was long suspected that they wanted something from the forbidden books section to bring Voldemort back. When they attacked the castle, all of the staff rushed out to take care of the matter. There was a great deal of smoke in the air and we lost a few people, including you. But they lost more. We overcame them, but every victory comes with a price," he ended.

"I never realized," she said quietly. "How do you seem to know me so well?"

"When I decided to turn back to the correct side, you helped persuade the Headmaster that I deserved a second chance. I became your apprentice until I had learned enough to teach a class of my own," he explained.

She raised an eyebrow. "And we were on a first-name basis?"

He finally faced her again after a pause. "Yes. We were on friendlier terms than most of our colleagues."

She had not meant to notice it, but she realized that he was facing her without looking at her, an evasive gesture. "Something tells me that you made an understatement, but I suppose I will find out more later."

_Why is she still as observant as ever? I don't want to tell her now; I don't even know if I want to tell her later. Then again, she deserves to know, but not right now_, he reasoned. "There is more to tell, but we have more important things to tend to at the moment."

"Don't you think that we ought to look for the books now?" she persuaded, understanding that he was through explaining the past for the moment.

With a sharp nod, he began walking ahead of her. "The library is this way."

As Severus and the Elvish woman sauntered off toward the library, Albus and Minerva continued to talk in the study. "Well, that went better than I thought it would," the old man began.

Minerva sighed wistfully. "Yes, I feel terrible for bringing her back into Severus' life like this. She doesn't remember anything of him or her life here."

Albus nodded. "I know, my dear, but they must learn to work together for the greater good, no matter the emotional cost."

"I don't like this at all, but I suppose you are right. I sincerely hope that they catch that thief soon. The last thing we need is another battle on our hands. I'll see you at dinner, Albus. I have marking to do," she stated as she moved toward the door.

He noticed how weary Minerva looked before she turned to leave. Reaching out, he took her hand in his and she turned around to face him. "My dear, you seem so taxed today. Perhaps you should reserve your marking for later and rest before dinner," he recommended.

She smiled kindly. "Thank you for your concern, Albus, but I'm perfectly capable of doing my work."

Reluctantly he let her go. "I just want you to take care of yourself. No one expects you to take on all that you once did immediately."

When she looked into his bright blue eyes, she saw the deep compassion he had for her along with genuine worry. "Albus, I'll be fine. I just need time."

He pulled her into a warm hug. "Very well, I shall see you at dinner then." After she had left, he wondered how Severus and the woman were getting along in the library.

Pouring over dust-encrusted volumes, the two looked for anything that related to staff magic, Middle Earth, and protection against the old magic. After finding nothing of use for an hour of searching, the Elvish woman lost her patience. "There must be a faster way to do this. The entire mess is ridiculous! It'll take us years to find what we need at this rate!" she complained.

Severus had been comfortable merely being near her after having thought her to be dead. He dealt her his customary smirk. _She never was a patient person_, he recalled. "I suppose you have a better idea then?"

She thought for a moment. "Actually, I might. Have you ever heard of a word searching spell?"

"No, how does it work?" he asked.

"It is usually used for replacing words in documents with other words. However, if you are looking for a particular word, it can help locate the word in the document. Shall we give it a try?" she suggested.

He nodded. "I'd like to get out of this dust sanctuary soon myself."

Using the word 'staff,' she found five books on the bottom shelf. Grabbing a few and handing the rest to Severus, she soon discovered that the search had worked. They found the necessary protective spells within the next hour. Having found what they needed, the two stood. "We ought to analyze these books again tomorrow, even over the next few days, but I suppose the spells we found will help in the immediate defense of Hogwarts," Severus remarked.

"Yes, and we need to perform them outside. My understanding is that they should create a shield around the castle that will buy us enough time to discover what the thief wants to find here," the Elvish woman added.

The two walked outside and performed the spells, noticing that different colours emanated from the wands. Severus asked her about it as they treaded back to the castle. "Your wand projected a bluish purple colour while mine projected a red-violet beam because the potency of this particular spell relates to how much magic our backgrounds have and the wizards in our ancestry. The light from your wand means that you are a descendant from one of the original wizards during the time of Gandalf and Saruman. Mine means that I am not. Most people are not, you see."

He snorted as they began returning to the castle for dinner. "And I suppose you learned that from your new research?"

She nodded. "Actually I did. You seem awfully doubtful about all I have just told you. Have you always been this cranky?"

Raising an eyebrow, he met her glance for a moment. "Even when I was your student, you asked me that. I shouldn't be surprised to hear you ask it again."

"And I take it that I never learned the answer?" she probed. When she smirked, he found it increasingly difficult to believe that she could not remember her identity. The smirk was so familiar to him that he found himself staring again. "I believe you left something out, but you will probably tell me in time, yes?"

The use of her old rhetoric did him in. In a move quick as lightning, he grabbed her shoulders and locked eyes with her, almost as if he intended to kiss her. Then he hastily pulled back. "Yes, in time," he added before sauntering off.

('Heryn' is Elvish for 'lady' and my thanks to Quill of Minerva, Always Hopeful and S.S.S.570, for reviewing :D)


	4. Glowing dim as an ember

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, and ideas (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. All Elf-related topics, the Elvish language, references to staff magic, and any other Lord of the Rings nouns belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and the Elvish dictionary at Nevrast. The titles of the chapters were inspired by "Once Upon a December" from the cartoon movie _Anastasia_. Professor Heryn O'Sheen and Nigel von Rueman are mine.

Chapter 4: Glowing dim as an ember.

"Before we begin the meal, I would like you all to welcome our guest, Moira. She is an expert in Middle Earth history and will be staying with us for a while," Albus introduced.

The students nodded respectfully and everyone took their seats as the meal began. Severus ate, looking at everyone except the Elvish woman Albus had placed next to him. She knew that the current situation bothered the Potions Master and shared a similar wish not to have sat by him at the meal. Minerva watched the two with concern, hoping that the situation of the past could be quickly resolved so as not to interfere with the situation of the present.

After dinner, Severus turned to his left. "I will show you to your rooms now," he said dryly. Slowly nodding, she stood and followed him. She took note of how quiet he was as they walked through several halls and corridors on the first floor. He stopped in front of a wall and she looked at him curiously, as though his skin had turned blue.

"What are you doing?" she questioned.

He did not answer, but instead used his wand and a door materialized. Then he lifted a chain out from underneath his robes and around his neck. The chain seemed worn, as if it was something he never removed. Then she spotted a shiny silver key at the end of it that he fingered affectionately. The lock clicked as the key turned and then he whispered the password, "Q lindele."

The dark oak door opened to reveal a living room and as they proceeded further, a bedroom. Little trinkets, Elvish wall hangings, and books seemed to decorate the rooms. She also noticed photographs of a young Elvish girl. "Professor Snape, were these my old rooms?" she asked tentatively.

Severus fingered a framed picture and laid it face-down where he had found it. Then he looked back at her and actually smiled sadly. "Yes, these were your rooms. After we had thought that you had died, I was given the duty of seeing to the removal of your personal affects," he paused and fingered a carved figurine of an Eagle.

She glanced at a few more photographs, of an Irishman and an Elvish lady. All at once the realization struck her. "Oh Merlin! I should contact my family and let them know that I'm alive when all this is over."

He nodded in agreement. "Yes, I suppose that would be a good idea."

Suddenly she stopped looking at the photos and faced him. "If you were supposed to clean out my rooms, why didn't you?" she asked him quietly.

His eyes focused on the bookcase. "I couldn't do it; I just couldn't erase your presence here. So I simply erased the door and no one ever suspected," he explained.

She studied the carved leaf designs on her mantel. "I suppose I ought to thank you for keeping them, but it all sounds so very odd. Why would you keep an old professor's rooms?"

Instead of answering, he headed toward the door. "I should be going."

Spotting something she had not expected, she grabbed his elbow before he could leave. "Professor Snape, why do I have a piano?"

He turned and walked over to the oak piano and pulled the cover back. Then he began to play an old classical melody a piece by an eighteenth century composer from the magic world, Nigel von Rueman. The haunting, melancholy tune filled the room and she watched him intently. His fingers danced across the keys as if the two were part of each other. She noticed a transformation from the cool, distant expression to one of near serenity. He seemed at peace playing the instrument.

When he stopped, his eyes met hers. "You taught me that. Playing the piano was a favourite activity of yours. You used to be quite good, actually."

After he had moved so she could sit on the bench, he watched her curiously as she simply stared at the keys. She placed her hands on them and tried out a few notes, but then drew back. She stood to inspect the bench and found complicated piano music by both muggle and magical composers. He noticed as her expression darkened. She pulled out a piece to attempt playing it, but suddenly realized to her horror that she did not recall any knowledge regarding the wonderful instrument before her. She returned the piece to the bench and closed her eyes. Tears began to slide down her cheeks.

"I don't remember how to play," she said in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

Placing one hand on her shoulder, he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her tears away with the other hand, though both felt the awkwardness of the action. "Perhaps I could help you if you would like."

A small smile formed on her lips. "I think I would like that. I don't think I used to be this emotional."

Clearing his throat and leaving the handkerchief with her, he chose his words carefully, remarking, "No, you didn't. But finding out about a past you don't remember is probably overwhelming."

For a moment she was at a loss for words. _How can he seem so cold one moment, and then compassionate in the next? I can't understand this man_. "Thank you for showing me to my rooms," she said without facing him.

He backed away and headed toward the door. When he spoke his tone held its frigidness again. "I really do need to be going. Good evening, Heryn-I mean Moira."

His abrupt departure left her wondering about what she was forgetting. She moved toward the bedroom and looked at a few more pictures. Then she came across one that struck her as particularly poignant: she and Severus kissing under the mistletoe. She sat down on the white bedspread, noting the familiarity of it. As she looked over at her pillow, she half-expected to find a few strands of her hair. She did, but that was not what had captured her attention. She also lifted up a strand of obsidian-black hair. She knew instantly what it meant. _He missed me so much that he must have spent the night here a few times_, she assessed.

Disgusted with himself and his inability to move beyond the past he and the Elvish woman had once shared, Severus stormed through the halls on his way to the dungeons. He rounded a corner and plowed directly into Minerva. He caught her by the waist just before she would have fallen to the ground.

"Dare I ask where you were off to in such a hurry?" she inquired as he helped her steady herself.

"I am truly sorry and I hope you're alright. I suppose I was distracted," he admitted without his usual sarcasm.

"Why don't we have a spot of tea and discuss what's on your mind?" she offered.

He sighed heavily. "Minerva, I really do not wish to discuss what occurred. The fact that you did not bloody tell me before letting me see her again makes me reluctant to discuss this with you," he grumbled.

Though he had seemed immovable, he led her to his quarters and made a pot of orange spice tea. He handed her a cup and they sat in his two wingback chairs. "I'm surprised that you changed your mind," Minerva remarked casually.

"It was the only way to end your pestering," he answered sardonically.

Raising an eyebrow and watching him over the top of her glasses, she sighed and took a sip of tea. "I was only trying to see if you were alright. If you prefer that I stay out of your business-"

"By bringing her back, you have interfered with my business more than you could ever know!" he interrupted.

She stood and stepped over to him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about that. We thought it would be best that way. Would you have come if we had told you?"

He glared at her. "You never gave me that option, but that's not the point! You have no idea what I lost when I lost her. I had every right to know things before they were dumped in my lap!"

Minerva met his gaze with sympathy. "Severus, I'm sorry. We never meant to hurt you. Because you had been so close to her, Albus figured that you would be the best person to work with her," Minerva conveyed.

"You do not understand. Seeing her but knowing that she doesn't remember anything is like having someone's identical twin visit! And as long as we're on the subject, do you even know what we are dealing with and how long we have until the school is under attack?" he questioned sharply.

Minerva ran her fingers through her hair, catching a few loose strands to secure into the bun at the top of her head. One quick glance at her lively green eyes told him that he was about to be lectured. "Severus Snape, I never thought that I would be telling this to you of all people, but it is vital that you put personal feelings aside and find whatever solutions you and our former potions mistress can in order to save the school! I can hardly believe myself that the world could be turned upside down again in a matter of hours, but here we are. The only thing being asked of you is that you work with her to help the school! I know you are angry and it's partly Albus' and my fault, but these are not light times we live in."

Tea being finished, Severus cleaned up the cups and turned back to Minerva as she headed toward the door. He called her just before she could open it. "Minerva, I am sorry, and I am well aware that these are tense times we find ourselves living it. I can also see that you and I are both rather taxed these days. I just wish that they had sent anyone else at this point, because I'm not even certain whom I am speaking to when I am with her," he admitted.

The Transfiguration professor nodded. "I know. She and I shared many interesting conversations all those years ago. You were her favourite topic of conversation, of course. This is difficult for you, but it's also difficult for her, not remembering her life here."

"Every time I see her, I keep hoping that it will be _Heryn_, but so far it has been someone else, _Moira_," he relayed quietly.

She sighed sadly and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Goodnight, Severus."

"Goodnight, Minerva," he stated before she walked out into the hall.

As she meandered toward her quarters, she noticed a familiar long-bearded wizard ahead of her. "Albus, what are you doing walking about so late?"

He turned and smiled warmly. "My dear, I was just checking for any inside gaps in the magic that protects the castle. However, I think I shall rally your question back to you."

"Severus and I bumped into each other, quite literally, and we discussed the situation between himself and our guest," she replied.

Albus offered her his arm. "I've almost finished. May I walk you to your rooms, my dear?"

Minerva smiled and linked her arm with his. "Thank you, I'd like that."

Her mind began to wander as they strolled along in companionable silence for a while. _I feel so peaceful when he's near me like this. I only wish that I could be certain he felt the same._ "Albus, do you think we'll ever have a year without something to worry about?"

He could sense that she needed reassurance and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "I wish I could promise you one. We can try to be positive that the situation will be resolved and make the best with what we have."

"And that would be?" she asked softly as they stopped in front of her door.

For a moment their eyes locked and she held her breath, waiting for him to say something. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it. Lifting his hand, he gently caressed her cheek. He bent down and brushed his lips lightly with hers. She blushed and smiled. "That we shall always have each other to lean on," he added.

"Goodnight, Albus," she stated, giving him a hug.

He returned the hug and said, "Sleep well my dear," before leaving. She went to sleep that night, comforted by Albus, but still worried about the Potions Master.

Severus woke sitting straight up in his bed four hours later, having had the nightmare again. Mentally kicking himself for not taking the dreamless sleep potion, Severus threw his bathrobe over his pajamas and made himself a cup of tea. As he drank it, he thought about how well the Elvish woman might have been sleeping. _I wonder if she still sleepwalks. She used to make herself a special dreamless sleep potion to prevent herself from doing so._ He finished the tea and returned to his bed, his mind still on her.

(music is Q lindele; my thanks to Always Hopeful, excessivelyperky, Quill of Minerva, S.S.S.570, and Lady Jolly for reviewing :D)


	5. Things my heart used to know

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, and ideas (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. All Elf-related topics, the Elvish language, references to staff magic, and any other Lord of the Rings nouns belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and the Elvish dictionary at Nevrast. The titles of the chapters were inspired by "Once Upon a December" from the cartoon movie _Anastasia_. Professor Heryn O'Sheen is mine.

Chapter 5: Things my heart used to know.

Minerva had decided to take a brief walk before breakfast. As she passed the library, she raised an eyebrow at a form curled up on the floor near the doors, wearing a long-sleeved sapphire-blue nightgown. She tried to kneel down, knowing how difficult it would be to stand again. Placing a hand on the woman's shoulder, she attempted to wake her.

"Moira, Moira are you alright?" the Transfiguration professor asked.

The Elvish woman looked up at her and blinked a few times. She winced when she sat up and tried to rub the stiffness out of her shoulders. "Good morning, Professor McGonagall. I'm glad you woke me. I did not hear my alarm go off and it feels as though I spent the night on the floor."

Minerva smiled compassionately. "Dear, it would seem that you did. I wonder how you came to be out here though. Do you think you could have been sleepwalking?"

She shrugged as she stood. "I don't know. I remember going to sleep in my own bed and then waking up here."

As Minerva glanced up at the Elvish woman, she looked at her expectantly. "I hate to ask this, but would you mind helping me up?"

Lending the professor a hand, she pulled her to her feet. "I'm sorry, I should have offered. I probably ought to head back to my room and freshen up, yes?"

"Of course, dear. I shall see you at breakfast," Minerva stated as she continued her walk.

Severus was on his way to the Great Hall when he noticed the Elvish woman slipping inside her quarter. _Since she was wearing her nightgown, she was probably sleepwalking_, he assessed. As he approached the door, he spotted Minerva. She meandered over to him before he could enter. "Yes?" he asked.

"I think our guest is sleepwalking again and I was wondering if I should send her to you for a dreamless sleep potion," Minerva explained.

He shook his head. "The normal recipe for a dreamless sleep potion never helped her with the sleepwalking. She had her own modified recipe that she made herself. I neither have the recipe, nor do I know its whereabouts. Aside from that, she was once Potions Mistress and I doubt that she has forgotten how to brew a simple sleeping potion," he told her curtly as he found his seat for breakfast.

Fortunately for both, Severus and the Elvish woman were not sitting next to each other during the meal. As they ate their blueberry pancakes, Minerva leaned toward the Elvish woman sitting next to her. "It is Thursday and Severus has classes, as you may have already guessed. You ought to search the library on your own for things and Severus will join you later," she suggested.

The other woman nodded in agreement. As she headed off to the library at the conclusion of breakfast, she glanced over her shoulder at Severus, noticing his grouchy pace and wondering if he walked like that every day. Severus was unaware of her observations as he stormed through the corridors to his classroom.

Hours later, time seemed to have slowed to a sickening crawl. As if having bungling first-years was not bad enough, three students in his N.E.W.T. level class had managed to blow up their cauldrons, covering themselves and the ceiling in the pink liquid of failed dental hygiene potions. Filch had been two busy to take care of the mess immediately, resulting in the pink mess dripping from the ceiling as Severus taught his next class.

The final straw came when one second-year student in his last class of the day accidentally brewed fog. The cloud spread itself throughout the floor of the classroom in minutes. Severus glared at the class after giving the student detention. He was stepping down from his platform to investigate the offending cauldron when he tripped, due to the fog. A few snickers were heard as he stood and walked over to the table.

"If I hear one more word from anyone, no matter the house, that person will loose two hundred points," he spat.

It was unfortunate that the fog caused one timid student to sneeze. Severus turned rapidly and almost sneered. The day had gone on for too long and he broke his fearsome glare to glance at his pocket watch. "Class dismissed," he barked.

As the students quietly filed out and Filch appeared by the door, waiting to clean up the messes, Severus sauntered off toward the library, stopping by the kitchen first. The Elvish woman had been busily pouring over the texts from the previous day. Severus cleared his throat and she quickly turned in her seat to face him.

"Professor Snape, are you taking a break, or are your classes finished?" she asked.

"I'm through trying to teach something useful to complete idiots for the day, if that's what you mean. Apparently you've spent the entire day here," he observed.

She nodded as her stomach growled. "It would seem that I have lost track of time. Lunch was several hours ago."

He took the seat across from her and handed her a plate with a ham and cheese sandwich. "I figured that you would forget about lunch. You might not recall the habits of your metabolism, but I do. If you don't eat within the next hour, you'll probably feint. I doubt that those muggle nurses that treated you told you anything about that."

Raising an eyebrow, she stared down at the sandwich. "The librarian let you bring a sandwich here? When I passed her, she seemed far too stringent to allow for that."

He grinned wryly. "That's why I waited until she had stepped out for a moment to bring it."

The woman at the table smirked. "Thank you for the sandwich. Care to tell me how your day went as I eat it?"

He scoffed. "You'd be wasting your time. The students were worse than usual though. I had this horrid pink concoction dripping from my ceiling, and then I had fog floating all over my floor," he explained.

Smiling at him, she took another bite of her sandwich before speaking. "I wish I could recall something from when, as you have told me, I taught Potions."

_I wish you could remember too_, he thought to himself. "We need to resume our search," he stated abruptly.

She sighed, confused at his behavior, and turned back to her book. "I can't find it. I'm close, but I cannot seem to find the reason for the thief's coming to the school."

He eyed the books almost impatiently. "Well, what did you find? You did say you were close."

Of the three books stacked next to her on the dusty wooden table, she grabbed the one on the bottom and steadied the other two. "This is a history book from the fifteenth century that dates back to Middle Earth," she paused and opened the book to a page she had marked. "When the decision was made to switch from staff magic to wand magic, those items from ancient days that were not destroyed became property of certain cities. The nobles in charge of the cities placed the items in hidden storage rooms or deep within castle walls and floors."

"It sounds to me as though you have found something useful," he remarked.

She nodded. "I have to a point. In one of the other books, the construction of Hogwarts with references to Isenguard is discussed also. However, what seems to elude me is what could be hidden here."

He grabbed a volume blanketed in cobwebs and seated himself opposite from her. "I might as well help you," he grumbled. As they continued the search, Severus wondered if Minerva or Albus had obtained any more information relating to the thief.

Relief washed over Minerva at the end of the day. Though she greatly enjoyed teaching, exhaustion had been plaguing her. A drafty chill in the castle did not help matters. In the morning, her hands were shaking and to cover the problem, she told a few students to write on the board. She told them that the class needed to pay more attention and they could be called on at any time to write on the board.

She made her way to the infirmary after her classes, hoping that Poppy could help her. The medwitch glanced up when she entered. "Minerva, I didn't expect to see you today. You usually make a point to avoid the infirmary. Is the cane giving you trouble?"

The Transfiguration professor shook her head. "It's not the cane. I think my arthritis is acting up again. I haven't had trouble with that in a long time. I've also been tired and I can't seem to stay warm today," she admitted.

Poppy moved toward a shelf and pulled out a blue vile. "Take a sip of this. It should cause you to emit a colored aura and I'll use that for the diagnosis," she stated, handing the other woman the vile.

Minerva raised an eyebrow at the substance and then took a sip. Poppy eyed her carefully and turned her head from side to side, as if unsure of the diagnosis. Then she walked over to her and took the vial. "Oh dear," she uttered.

Glancing at her with near panic, Minerva spoke. "It's that bad? Poppy, what is the problem?"

After dumping out the blue vile in the sink, the medwitch headed back to her shelf to retrieve another one. "I'm sorry, Minerva. That potion was out of date. My comment had nothing to do with you."

Minerva breathed a sigh of relief. "Just don't scare me like that again please."

"I won't, I promise," she paused and watched as Minerva drank from the new vial. "Well, fortunately you aren't coming down with anything. But those stunners did a great deal of damage. If you want to get your strength back, you need to eat better and sleep for a full eight hours."

The Transfiguration professor sighed and shook her head. "Poppy, you know I wasn't even sleeping for eight hours as a teenager. What makes you think I can sleep that long now?"

Simply smiling, the medwitch grabbed a few light green vials from her desk. "These are vitamin potions and should be taken twice a day, before breakfast and after supper. Regarding your sleeping, if you don't, you won't have enough energy to teach. Or worse, Albus could worry about you and lecture me about reminding you to take better care of yourself."

Minerva chuckled. "He does tend to be a bit of a mother hen sometimes, doesn't he?"

Handing her the vials, Poppy whispered, "Only to you. He doesn't worry like that for just anyone."

Vials in her possession, Minerva left the infirmary to leave them in her rooms. After dropping them off, she walked to the Headmaster's study to meet Albus and discuss the current problem of the thief and his whereabouts. She found him leafing through a few recent copies of the _Daily Prophet_. He looked up as she approached him and smiled broadly.

Setting the paper down, he strolled over to her. "How are you, my dear?"

She smiled politely, but blushed when he kissed her hand. "I'm fine. What are all these newspapers doing here?" she questioned, looking at issues of the _Daily Prophet_ sitting in various piles.

He led her over to the sofa to sit next to him. "I will explain everything while we have tea," he told her.

"That would be fine," she agreed.

After they each held a cup of cinnamon spice tea in their hands, he sipped his tea and showed her the newspaper he had been previously looking at. "I have been trying to peruse through these papers to find out if there are any mentions of a thief stealing ancient relics. I was hoping to find a physical description of him."

Nearly an hour passed before either had found anything useful. Minerva had started from papers dating back to the time of Voldemort's first demise and was about to put down an eleven-year old paper when an article on the back page caught her eye. She moved toward Albus and put the paper in front of him.

"I think I've found something. This article mentions a figure lurking around one of the Middle Earth museums that was closed down several years ago. It might be a start," she said hopefully. He nodded and they renewed the search with a new surge of energy.

Little by little they began to collect other articles, clipping them out and setting them aside in a box for further investigation. As they began to examine the articles, they looked for similarities of perpetrators. Albus would read the physical descriptions and Minerva would write them on a pad of paper she conjured. Soon they had developed a list of characteristics that kept reoccurring.

"It would seem that whomever we are looking for has sandstone-brown hair, stands 5'7'' by the American measuring system, is a male, a wizard which means he could have attended Hogwarts or one of the other schools at one time, and has a keen interest in Middle Earth artifacts," Minerva told him.

"Hmm, though he is on the smaller side, the description could fit several people," Albus mentioned.

Minerva nodded, but then smiled. "Yes, but this next detail would not: he has a purple discoloration on most of the left side of his face. One of the articles surmises that the mark may have been chemical-related."

"That last bit of information may prove to be the most useful," Albus added.

As they picked through more papers, they noticed something odd. The information on the individual they were looking for stopped entirely in an eight-year-old paper. He was not described again until an article in a paper only two months out of date. As they looked at more recent articles, the man showed up again.

"I wonder where he went for eight years," she commented.

"Prison would be my guess, probably for something other than burgling," he surmised. "What else can we find about his most recent activities?"

The paper sitting on Minerva's lap slipped off and she picked it back up, leafing through it to find the page she had lost. "Here it is, the incident that the Ministry of Magic told us about. What we need to do is find relationships with the recent robberies and attempts."

"Quite right. I am surprised though, that if he was arrested, we have not seen it mentioned in what we have looked through," he added.

Suddenly a thought crossed her mind. "Albus, if he had been arrested in the magic world, the _Daily Prophet_ would have said something about it. Assuming that he did spend eight years in prison, perhaps he went to a muggle prison."

Albus nodded. "You could be right, my dear. We should check the muggle newspapers for arrests that took place eight years ago."

Using the owlry and calling in a few favors from friends, Albus soon received several muggle newspapers from the necessary time period. Looking through them, Minerva found what they had been looking for: a description of the man and details of an arrest. "It says here in the _London Times_ that Blake Holt was arrested for stealing three valuable paintings," she paused and set the paper down for a moment. "As we know, he may not have given the police his real name. I have something else of interest," she flipped to the continuation of the article. "He had a tattoo of a green snake."

"I suppose it would be possible that, assuming that he attended Hogwarts, he also could have been in Slytherin," Albus concluded. "Was there anything else?"

"He was twenty-eight when arrested. Now he would be roughly thirty-six. I wonder why I don't recall seeing a student who fits his description before. Though he sounded almost plain, I don't think that I could forget a student with a purple blotch on his face," the Transfiguration professor remarked.

"It could be that the chemical incident that caused it happened after he graduated," Albus pointed out.

She put the newspaper on the coffee table and sat back on the sofa, rubbing the stiff spot on her neck. "I suppose it's been a long day," she commented.

To her surprise, the man next to her reached over and began gently massaging her neck and shoulders. She relaxed and let a comfortable sigh slip out. "My dear, I haven't seen you this tense in a while. Let me help you a bit," Albus offered.

As Albus continued to give her a pleasant massage, she wished she had more time in her day to relax. _I wonder if Severus could make a nerve-calming potion. I could definitely use- _She suddenly turned and faced Albus. "What if it wasn't a chemical accident? What if it was a potion accident?"

"It is possible. Who could he have had for Potions if the accident occurs shortly before he would have graduated?" Albus inquired.

Minerva took the age and quickly calculated the numbers in her head. When she found the answer, she slowly faced Albus again. "He would have had Heryn O'Sheen."

Albus sighed heavily. "Which means she is probably the only one who knows his true identity."

"Unfortunately she can't tell us much at the moment because she doesn't remember," Minerva pointed out.

"Then we will just have to find another way to resolve the situation. I wish I had an idea of what sort of patterns to look for regarding the thief's activities," Albus conveyed.

She moved to examine a few more papers. "There has to be a correlation between the places he went to."

After a few more minutes of searching, Albus' head shot up from the paper he had been previously buried in. "I think I've got it! Remember that map our guest showed us when she first arrived? The places the thief has been to were all on the map."

Following his train of thought, she continued. "Which means that we might guess where he will strike next by looking at the map!"

"I believe she left it here and I put it onto of my desk. We may have to move quite a few newspapers to get it," he remarked.

They marched over to his desk and pushed the papers off until they beheld the map. Minerva uttered a cleaning spell and the papers stacked themselves on the other side of the room. Comparing the clippings, they identified the places on the map and finally noticed with a pang of discomfort where the thief was going.

"He's headed for Hogwarts," Minerva stated dimly. "Is there any way to know how much time we have to prepare a defense?"

Albus took her hands in his for a moment and shook his head. "I don't know, my dear."

After taking a second to glance at the clock, she leaned toward him and gave him a peck on the cheek. "We should go to dinner. With all that happened last year, the students will worry if we are missing."

He returned the kiss and smiled lightly. "You are correct as usual. I imagine we also need to collect Severus and our guest from the library. I know she at least spent the entire day there because I noticed Severus brining a plate with a sandwich to the library."

Severus paced back and forth in front of the book-laden table. "We need to think about this logically. What does a thief steal?"

"What kind of a question is that?" the Elvish woman complained.

He sighed and dealt her his customary glare of irritation. "Woman, it is exactly the sort of question that must be asked. Now, what does a thief steal?" he repeated.

After a long moment of silence, she answered him. "A thief likes to steal what he or she can sell for a higher price, namely car parts, jewelry, certain technological items like televisions, and music CDs."

Glancing at the book that had mentioned staff magic and then returning to her, he was prepared to discuss a new idea. "What if," he paused and leaned closer to her, "the thief wanted weapons?"

She rubbed her chin with her index finger. "I suppose it is possible, but how does that apply here?" Then understanding flashed in her violet eyes. "It applies if the thief were looking for a staff!"

He nodded emphatically. "Exactly, there is probably a staff hidden here somewhere and as you know, a staff can be an incredibly destructive weapon."

Folding her hands in front of her, she leaned back in her chair. "Well, now that we have an idea of what to look for, how should be go about finding it?"

"Perhaps one of these books will give us a hint," he suggested.

Several yellowed pages later, they were no closer to finding a solution. The Elvish woman shut the book she had been staring at with a musty smack. "I don't have the energy to look anymore today. I don't know why we cannot find what we need, but I am too tired to continue at the moment," she expressed.

He snorted and set his book next to hers, an old leather book on the bookshelf next to her catching his eye. "I am surprised at you. Usually you're not one to give up easily," he commented.

She sighed heavily, a few strands of copper hair flying loose from her bun. "I have spent the entire day looking over this material and I am just barely closer to an answer. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that, in a search like this one, the book did not simply jump off the shelf and land in front of me."

Abruptly the leather book about magical artifacts floated from the shelf landed in front of her with a soft thud. "You were saying?" he smirked.

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow as she looked up at him. "I know you did that, but it looks as though you might have spotted what we need."

The leather book was old indeed, old enough to contain a list of where certain magical items had gone. Finally the Elvish woman found what she had been searching for: a reference to a staff kept at Hogwarts. She jumped up and pointed out the passage to Severus. "This part discusses a staff that was dangerous enough to be broken into five parts. According to this page, it was hidden in what is now Hogwarts."

"That takes us back to your earlier question: how do we find it?" he reminded.

She thought for a moment. "There is a locating spell that uses a person to locate the object in question. Could we try that?" she suggested.

"I suppose it might work. I know the spell you mean," he responded.

"Then I volunteer," she said simply.

When he cast the spell, a rosy glow from his wand flashed in front of her. "Well? Do you know where it is now?" he questioned.

She tried to saturate her thoughts with the staff and imagined herself roaming through the castle, closing her eyes. After a solid five minutes she opened her eyes and released the breath she had been holding. "I can't find anything. The staff pieces might be protected from searching spells."

"So much for that idea," he grumbled.

"At least we know what we need to find. We'll try to find more clues tomorrow," she added.

As they stood to leave, they were greeted by Albus and Minerva. "We thought someone ought to remind you two about dinner," the Transfiguration teacher relayed.

Severus glanced over at the Elvish woman and then back to Minerva. "Thank you, Minerva, but as you can see we were already headed that way ourselves."

It was by accident that the Potions Master found himself sitting next to the Elvish woman again, but for a reason he could not define, it did not bother him as much. They ate in companionable silence and he watched with amusement as she skillfully picked the olives out of her lasagna with her fork. _She never did like those_, he thought to himself. When the meal was finished, he left and sauntered toward his rooms. However, he stopped abruptly when someone called to him from behind. He turned to face the Elvish woman.

She pulled out a necklace she wore that held a claddagh on the end of the necklace. "I don't mean to interrupt you while you're on your way, but I have one quick question. Perhaps you can tell me how I came to be wearing this. The nurses said I had it with me when I was brought to them."

He gasped, having almost forgotten about it. _Had it not been for that idiotic battle, we would have been married by now_. "I'm surprised you kept it all these years. I gave you that a few weeks before the battle. It was a promise for- never mind. I've said too much already."

Before he could stand to leave, she grabbed his sleeve. "Perhaps you will tell me someday, yes?"

"Someday," he said quietly as he walked toward the dungeons and she headed to her own rooms. She sighed regretfully, wishing that he would finally tell her some of the many things that she could sense him hiding.

(my thanks to Always Hopeful, Quill of Minerva, and excessivelyperky for reviews :D)


	6. Things I almost remember

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, and ideas (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. All Elf-related topics, the Elvish language, references to staff magic, and any other Lord of the Rings nouns belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and the Elvish dictionary at Nevrast. The titles of the chapters were inspired by "Once Upon a December" from the cartoon movie _Anastasia_. Professor Heryn O'Sheen is mine.

Chapter 6: Things I almost remember.

After dinner, Albus walked Minerva to her rooms, stopping when they reached her door. Somehow his arm had moved from being linked with hers to being wrapped around her waist. He whispered, "Goodnight, Minerva," and paused. She watched him with curiosity, about to tell him goodnight when he leaned toward her and kissed her warmly.

A shade of crimson spread across her cheeks as she found her voice. "Don't go. I could use a good chess game after today and I was hoping you would join me," she offered.

He smiled politely. "I would love to, my dear."

The two sat in opposite chairs after she had found her chess set. During the two games that they played, Minerva and Albus discussed recent events. "We still don't know how long we have until the thief comes here. Isn't there something we can do to calculate when that might be?" Minerva asked.

Albus sighed and his brow furrowed as he concentrated on the chess board for a moment. Despite the gravity of their conversation, the chess game provided a welcome distraction. "All we can do is owl the Ministry of Magic, telling them what we know and hoping that they have a lead of some sort while Severus and our Elvish friend find ways to defend the school. Those two, whether they realize it or not, are our best hope in this situation."

He glanced over at her, knowing that she had more to say. She hesitated, waiting as her bishop took one of his pawns. "Albus, was it really the right thing to do, throwing them together again like that? Poor Severus was deeply upset by that last night," she conveyed.

Moving a rook to a more strategic position, he faced her. "It is the best way to help her remember, and him to heal. If anyone can help her, he can. My hope is that they will rediscover their feelings for each other by the end of this."

Minerva won both games, the first only marginally, the second by the usual flare that showed off her chess skills. Albus stood to leave and she walked him to the door. "Thank you for the tea and a couple of superb chess games," he told her.

She smiled graciously. "You're quite welcome, Albus. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, my dear, and I'll tell you that I have greatly enjoyed your company," he added softly as he gently caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers, also brushing her neck and stopping at her shoulder.

She leaned into his touch and began to purr. He smirked at her and then she blushed a candy-apple red from the neck up at the realization that she had been purring. "There is no need to be embarrassed, my dear. I find it very charming when you purr," he told her with a grin.

Of course the compliment only made her blush more. "Thank you," she managed.

"I recall a nickname you used many years ago to go along with your animagus form, 'Tabby,' I think it was," he began.

She nodded. "Yes, that is correct. Is there a particular reason that you brought it up?"

"With your permission, I would like to call you 'Tabby' from time to time," he requested.

Smiling back at him, she nodded again. "Only you," she whispered. Before he left, their lips met for a gentle kiss.

Severus woke with a start and grabbed his wand from the nightstand as he felt something run into his bed. Letting the tip of the wand glow, he observed his visitor with scrutiny. The Elvish woman, wearing a forest-green nightgown, seemed to be walking into the edge of his bed, bouncing off, and trying again. A closer look revealed that her eyes were closed. "Blasted woman is sleepwalking again," he said under his breath.

He grabbed his bathrobe, black as his teaching robes, and walked over to her. When he called out 'Moira,' he did not receive a response. Then a curious thought struck him. "Heryn," he whispered.

To his profound shock, the sleeping woman replied, "My Severus, I am blocked here. My waking self cannot remember. Help my waking self to understand." Once the statement had been mumbled, she collapsed onto his stone floor.

_ What the deuce did I do to deserve this? Granted, I've been a deatheater among other things, but I didn't realize that my penance for that one extended this far. I honestly don't know what is going on anymore_. Racing over to her side, he attempted to revive her gently. Suddenly she sat up and looked at him with distress. "Professor Snape, where am I?" she asked.

He helped her to her feet and then lit a lamp. "As you can see, you are in my rooms," he responded, a slight pink streak flashed across his cheeks just long enough for her to know that he was mildly embarrassed to find her there. Then he looked toward her and gave her his interrogating glare. "What I would like to know is how you came to be here and why, considering that I do have a password."

She thought for a moment with her eyes closed. As she opened them and faced him, he recognized the knowing expression. "Your password is 'banshee in red,' yes?" she questioned.

He nodded. "Perhaps do you recall something from your days here after all."

Raising an eyebrow, she eyed him quizzically. "I understand why it was necessary for you to know my password, but why do I know yours?"

_I should have known she'd ask that_, he grumbled to himself. "You should return to your own rooms."

She was not put off by his attempt to change the subject. "That's not fair. You owe me an explanation."

Part of him was enjoying her stubborn side, but he was not about to let her know it. "I will be blunt: now is not the time for such a discussion and it would be better if you headed back to your own rooms before it gets any later. I also suggest that before you do, you transfigure your nightgown into something a bit more… conservative, lest someone see you as you are, exiting the dungeons," he said crisply.

Though her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she remembered the thinness of her outfit, she smirked. "That might be a bit difficult, considering that I don't have my wand with me to change my nightgown."

He sighed with resignation and grabbed an extra bathrobe from his closet. "Alright, since I can't seem to get rid of you and since it is unlikely that either one of us is going back to sleep any time soon, I will make tea. I have a few questions for you after we deal with your questions," he acquiesced.

"You can go first then," she mentioned.

Just before they left his room, she noticed a small, flat green snake on his dresser. She lifted it up and stared at it oddly, starting to place it along different areas of her arm. "I've seen this somewhere before, but I think it was on someone's skin," she said as if she were looking through fog.

"That's just an old bookmark," he stated. She set it down and they entered the sitting room.

He used a short upward swooping hand gesture to light the two hurricane lamps in the room as well as the fireplace. Later, they were seated in two wingback chairs as they drank their tea. He spied his clock on the mantel, noticing that it read 3:15, and then he spoke first. "First off, call me Severus. What are your dreams like?"

She took a sip and faced him. "When I dream, I know where I am, who I am, and what is going on around me. I have memories of people and places that seem incredible, but when I wake up and try to recall them, I don't understand anything that I saw or experienced and I'm confused. It is as if my sleeping self knows much more than my waking self," she admitted.

"Were you dreaming tonight?" he inquired calmly.

Nodding quickly, she set her cup down on the coffee table. "Yes. I was wandering through the castle, looking for something. I knew exactly where I was going though. I remember heading to the dungeons, saying your password, and entering your rooms. However, when I reached what is currently your bedroom, it was empty. Where your bed should have been were a few loose chunks of flagstone. I was trying to get to them because I needed whatever was under them. That's when you woke me."

His brow furrowed as he tried to analyze the situation. _This is certainly a puzzle_. "When you were asleep, I called out 'Moira,' but you did not respond. However, when I called out 'Heryn,' you spoke. Do you have any idea why that would be?"

"No, but perhaps when I'm dreaming, I am Heryn. That would explain why I seem to know so much more. It could be that somehow my long-term memories were stored in my subconscious and are still there," she assessed.

He opened his mouth to comment, but then shook his head and decided to take another direction. "Can you remember what it was you were looking for?"

She focused her gaze on her hands, folded in her lap, thinking for a while. "I was looking for something important, powerful, and hidden."

"Do you think it could have been the staff?" he suggested.

"It sounds like an excellent possibility," she remarked. "Now on to my question: why do I know your password?"

_You still don't let much slip by_, he reasoned, rubbing a crick out of his neck. "As much as I'd rather have a glass of brandy while explaining things, I will give you your answer, but only because you have answered a few of my questions. You and I used to visit each other quite often and knowing each other's passwords saved time."

Crossing her knees and folding her hands on top of one knee, she sighed. "I think you can do better than that, Severus. You only gave me half an answer," she stated primly, appearing and sounding incredibly like the teacher he remembered her to be. "Why would I visit you so frequently?"

_Why can't she just be either consistently the clueless guest or consistently herself? I am not entirely sure whom I'm talking to again_, he thought uncomfortably. "I will not play this game any longer. I will tell you what I wish to and nothing else. Furthermore, you should go back to your rooms while everyone is most likely still asleep!" he spat.

He had expected her to leave and was mildly surprised when she crept over to him with an odd, catlike grace. She stopped directly in front of him and he could see deep emotion reflected in her eyes. "I will go if you permit me to answer one question for myself."

"If it will ensure that I can return to what is left of my good night's sleep shortly, then by all means go ahead," he commented sardonically.

When she moved even closer it was as if the world had stopped. She leaned toward him, resting one knee on the chair's cushion and one hand on the arm of the chair. Carefully reaching out, she caressed his cheek with the back of her fingers and closed her eyes when they were almost nose to nose. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her there with all his heart, but for her sake he resisted and allowed her to pull back to look him in the eyes again.

"Severus who am I? I need to know who I am because I don't think I can take much more of this. I have all these feelings for people that I don't know how to sort out because I don't know where they came from," she admitted in a whisper.

"It's nice to know that I'm not the only one of us trying to deal with awkward emotions," he responded almost as quietly.

"I think I should leave now," she stated, quickly making her way toward the door. Upon reaching it, she turned back to him for a moment. "We were much closer than you first led me to believe, weren't we?" she left before he could answer properly.

Knowing that sleep would not return to him that evening, he began to reflect on what had just occurred. _I should have transfigured her nightgown myself and sent her on her way. I did not think that she would remember enough to have troubling emotions. I can only keep her in the dark about our relationship for so long, and it's beginning to look like she might even remember parts of it. Whatever sort of amnesia she has, it is quite strange indeed. What if she really did see something in her dreams? Perhaps I should move my bed and check after all_, he decided.

Using magic to move his bed, the found flagstone tiles underneath. At first glance, he did not see anything unusual. However, when he felt the flagstone, he realized that the pieces felt different, more crude. He used magic to pull them up and gasped as he spotted a small oval-shaped object. Looking at it near one of his lamps, he realized that it was wrapped in an old piece of leather. He removed the covering to reveal the head of a staff.

"What's going on here? I thought the locating spell didn't work on her," he said aloud. "This isn't adding up at all. Perhaps I'll have that brandy now."

Breakfast came and went without any significant problems. As the professors left to teach their Friday classes, the Elvish woman returned to the library to find out more regarding the staff. She was deeply engrossed in her research and only stopped for lunch because the librarian had reminded her. When she returned, she found another leather book. Later, Severus found her as she continued to read the book. He cleared his throat and she looked up at him.

"I trust that Madame Pince reminded you to eat lunch," he stated. She nodded and showed him the book.

"I've found something useful. Apparently the staff within this castle has many abilities. One is to call up old minions from the days of Middle Earth to engage in battle again," she informed him.

He watched her for a minute. "There is something I want to show you. Follow me," he told her, sauntering out of the library.

She trailed him down to the dungeons and into his rooms. After he shut the door, he reached over to his coffee table and unwrapped the object sitting there. Staring wide-eyed, she gasped as he showed her the head of the staff. "Where did you find this?" she inquired.

"I found it under a few loose tiles, under my bed. Somehow you knew it was here," he commented.

The French roll she had kept her hair in began to pull at the roots more than she would have liked at that moment. She unwound it, noticing the immediate relief, and simply pulled it back with a hair band. "I do not know what to say. I thought the locating spell didn't work on me, yet here we are with the first part of the staff."

"This probably has something to do with your dream," he mentioned.

Sighing heavily, she sat down on the couch and was silent for a moment. Then she looked up at him. "Severus, what really happened last night? The whole thing feels like a dream. When I woke up at 6:30, I was on top of my bed in a black bathrobe."

He took a seat next to her. "If I must recount the whole thing to you, then I'll keep it short," he began bluntly. "You were sleepwalking and found your way into my room. I spoke to you, but it was Heryn I received an answer from while you were asleep. Then you woke and we discussed the dream which led you here, about you knowing where you were going in the castle, looking for something."

She looked at her hands and then faced him. "There is a reason I asked you. I remember things in an odd way, as if they weren't my memories," she paused and took a deep breath. "Severus, when you were talking to me last night, especially toward the end of our conversation, you were talking to someone else. Being here has had a strange affect on me."

"In what way?" he asked.

"I've been experiencing what I'd describe as memory splits, moments when I'm not the one doing the thinking. I don't know how, maybe it had to do with you waking me up while I was sleepwalking, but somehow for a few brief moments, you were talking to Heryn. This is all so terribly confusing," she admitted.

"Then it is possible," he said quietly to himself.

The Elvish woman raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"

He stood and began pacing for a minute, trying to explain what he had realized. She stood to leave, but when he turned to face her, the look of knowledge in his eyes stopped her. "I think I know what happened with the locating spell, and I might have a theory about what else you have mentioned. Somehow, the part of you that is Heryn is in your subconscious mind. Because Heryn has all the memories, as well as the true personality, the spell was cast on Heryn. There may yet be a way to fix your memory," he conveyed.

"Wait, I may not be a medwitch, but I don't think amnesia works that way. The muggle nurses told me that most of my memory loss would never return," she mentioned.

"Sometimes muggle nurses do not know how to treat magic folk. It's possible that your memory may have been affected differently than they figured," he suggested.

"I think we should tell the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall what we have discovered," she suggested.

As the two made their way to the Headmaster's study, Albus and Minerva were waiting for a reply from the Ministry of Magic. They looked up as the others entered. "Minerva, Albus, we have news about what the thief is looking for and how to find it," Severus stated.

"Then by all means tell us," Minerva responded.

The Elvish woman spoke. "The thief is looking for a staff that was broken into five parts, hidden within this castle. We tried to use a locating spell to find it, but when I didn't go anywhere immediately, we surmised that it did not work. I found the location of the first part while sleepwalking," she explained.

"Apparently her real self is in her subconscious. There may be a way to retrieve her memory," Severus added.

"Finally we have some good news," Minerva exclaimed. Then she told the two what she and Albus had learned about the thief.

Abruptly the Elvish woman placed her hand on Minerva's arm. "Wait, what sort of tattoo did he have, Professor McGonagall?"

"It was a green snake on his arm," she replied.

The other woman's eyes widened and Severus met her gaze. "What is it?"

"Do you remember how I mentioned that your green bookmark looked familiar, that I had seen it on someone's skin?" she questioned. He nodded and she continued. "Maybe my mind is still playing tricks on me, but I think I can remember the tattoo. I just don't remember what might have been connected with it."

"Well at least it's a start," Severus added dryly.

The Elvish woman opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it, as if sewing together thoughts on the matter. Then she looked over at Severus. "I know I'm the one with the faulty memory here, but I just thought of something that might help us. Most schools have file systems of who attended the school and when. Shouldn't this Mr. Holt, if that is his real name, be in the files somewhere?"

Severus grasped her shoulders lightly and looked at her wide-eyed. "That's brilliant. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. We should check the Slytherin House files for him."

Minerva had been watching the two, trying to keep her mind focused on the conversation. She kept worrying about what they still needed to know and find. Lunch had not been an option for her due to lack of appetite and after the previous night's chess games she still had not felt like going to sleep. Now the day had taxed her of any energy reserves she might have had and she took a deep breath to clear her head.

None of the other three had noticed that Minerva seemed at all tired. Then a tapping was heard at the window. Albus walked over to it and let the grey owl into the room. He carefully untied the note from the bird's leg and sent him back. Sighing heavily as he read it, Albus passed the note to the others.

When Minerva read it, she looked over at him with panic in her eyes. "Albus, what are we going to do? The Ministry of Magic says we have a week at most to prepare!" she declared.

"Minerva, we are doing all we can and we find more each day," Severus said, attempting to calm her.

His effort did not work and she began pacing near the desk. "We are running out of time! We have to find something more concrete to use as a defense!" She stopped pacing suddenly and took in a few quick breaths, placing a hand on the desk. Albus watched her, knowing that something was wrong. "I'm sorry, it's just that…" she suddenly trailed off, losing her balance and falling in front of the desk on the side with the inkwells.

The others rushed to her side, Albus being the first, lifting her up and deciding to carry her to the infirmary. Everything else was forgotten as he stared down at her. The Elvish woman gasped as she neared Minerva, not because the professor had feinted, but because of what was on her robes. "Merlin's beard, she's got blood all over the front of her!"

(I apologize for not explaining what a claddagh is in the previous chapter, it is a circle with two hands at the end that hold a crown above a heart, symbolizing love, loyalty, and friendship, sometimes it can also symbolize and engagement; my thanks to S.S.S.570, Quill of Minerva, Leta McGotor, and excessivelyperky for reviewing :D)


	7. Yearning to remember

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, and ideas (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. All Elf-related topics, the Elvish language, references to staff magic, and any other Lord of the Rings nouns belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and the Elvish dictionary at Nevrast. The titles of the chapters were inspired by "Once Upon a December" from the cartoon movie _Anastasia_. Professor Heryn O'Sheen is mine.

Chapter 7: Yearning to remember.

"Woman, that's only red ink for correcting students' papers and tests. Please do not give us any more reason to worry than necessary," Severus told the Elvish woman before he muttered a cleaning spell.

Albus carried Minerva to the infirmary and was greeted by a distressed Poppy. "What happened?" she asked with worry.

"We don't exactly know. She just fainted," the Elvish woman answered.

After he had set her down on the bed, Albus was allowed to remain while Poppy cast a diagnostic spell, but Severus and the copper-haired woman were asked to wait outside. "She shouldn't have been part of the investigation to begin with. I should have taken her part myself and left you to the research. I just never thought that she would push herself so far," Severus remarked with a sigh as he stood outside the infirmary door.

The Elvish woman began wringing her hands. "You can't blame yourself. She was very good at hiding it. I only wish that I had been more observant. Merlin, she wouldn't have been so stressed if I was able to clearly remember that young man…" she trailed off when she felt a light tug at her wavy hair.

She turned slowly and found him fingering her hair. He stopped instantly upon being discovered. "I'm sorry, it was an old habit," he muttered to the floor.

"I don't mind, I was just surprised. When most people play with hair as a nervous gesture, it's usually their own hair," she said with a slight smirk.

He snorted, but dealt her a half-smile. "Yes, but my hair isn't long enough to do what yours does."

She debated her next move and decided that thinking about it much would squelch the idea. Moving toward him on an impulse, she quickly stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. He turned toward her, speechless and blinking. "I think," she paused for a moment, "it's what _she_ would have done."

He noted her concern for him in her violet eyes. "Yes," was all he said.

In the infirmary Albus anxiously awaited Poppy's findings. "Well? What in Merlin's name is wrong with her?" he questioned.

The medwitch turned to him and placed an understanding hand on his shoulder. "She will be fine. There is nothing wrong with her that a good diet and regular sleeping habits won't cure. She just exhausted herself today, that's all," Poppy reassured him.

Albus grinned broadly when Poppy told him to gently wake Minerva. Being a light sleeper, the light touches on her shoulder and the long beard falling on her cheek woke her. "Albus, why am I in the infirmary?" she asked as she sat up.

Then she noticed Poppy. "Minerva, I warned you about your eating and sleeping habits. Albus and I will make certain that you take better care of yourself. Now, I'll leave you two alone for a moment while I find you a few more vitamin potions," the medwitch commented.

When it was just the two of them, Minerva glanced over at Albus sheepishly. "I'm sorry. It would seem that in my zealous effort to help, I got a bit carried away."

He brushed an errant strand behind her ear and his hand lingered on her shoulder. "That you did, my dear, but I'm so glad that you were not seriously ill. From now on, I'll be keeping a better eye on you."

She sighed and rolled her eyes, but smiled. "I should have known this was coming. Now you'll be watching me like a hawk, escorting me to every meal, and probably tucking me in at night too," she remarked wryly.

He nodded and sat down on the bed next to her. "Of course, my dear, I wouldn't dream of having you faint again. My life runs so much smoother when your health is intact."

"And why would that be?" she asked with a teasing grin.

"Because I love you, Tabby," he admitted quietly.

Minerva was stunned and sat staring at him for a solid minute. "You love me, in the non-platonic sense?" He nodded and she put both hands up to her mouth in a surprised gesture. Then she placed her hands in her lap. "Albus, I love you too. I was so afraid that you would not feel the same way, so I did not tell you."

Then Minerva realized how close they were to each other. She reached up and gently removed his glasses, placing them where hers had been placed on the small table. "Minerva, why have you removed my glasses?" he asked softly.

She smiled up at him and slowly placed both of her hands on his shoulders. "Don't talk, Albus," she instructed.

Their lips met in a gentle kiss that led to him placing one hand on the small of her back and cupping her face with the other, drawing her closer. The kiss became more passionate, neither wanting to break for air. When it was absolutely necessary, they broke apart and held each other. Then Albus turned Minerva's face back to meet his and did not waste any more time before kissing her ardently. He deepened the kiss and Poppy glanced up from her work, having finished the vitamin potions. She smiled, knowing that they had finally told each other the truth. Then she walked over to the door and let the other two into the infirmary.

Severus and the Elvish woman followed the direction as Poppy made a silencing gesture with one finger over her lips and pointed to the couple. Turning toward the woman on his right, he whispered, "Well, those two won't be much help for a while. We should probably go on ahead with the research."

She smirked and nodded, following him out of the room. "How should we go about this?" she inquired.

"You will proceed to the library and continue searching for ways to repel the oncoming attack while I search the House files for a description of our thief," he told her. They parted and began their tasks.

Severus cursed under his breath as he stared at the mess of papers and files blanketing his desk. _I had forgotten that the last Head of Slytherin House was about as organized as Longbottom during his first year. If I find even the slightest ounce of useful information here, I'll try looking for the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow next_, he thought to himself. Finally he recalled the year-sorting spell and it saved him at least two hours of work. Using the information he has learned earlier that day about the student's age, he began searching in what would have been the student's seventh year.

Knowing that it would be difficult to look for the student's picture with only a vague idea of what the student looked like, he scanned the files in that year for any incidents, such as a potion accident that would have caused the purple discoloration Minerva had mentioned. The only information he came across was a note saying that the information regarding the incident had been moved to Professor Heryn O'Sheen's file. _If anyone has that file, it would be Albus. I'll just have to speak with him later about it_, he reasoned, deciding to head to the library.

When he entered the library, he found her scanning another leather book with her left hand and flipping through an old Potions text with her right hand. "Is that your idea of multitasking?" he asked with a smirk.

She looked up immediately. "As a matter of fact, it is. I found some useful information about a certain potion as well as the staff," she paused and wiped a bit of perspiration from her brow. "I feel as if I've spent the last year in this library and that I may never leave. You might as well put my headstone in the corner over there. I'd have it say, 'here lies a woman too mixed up to know her own name,' because I don't know if I'd want 'Moira' or 'Heryn O'Sheen' at this point. I'm sorry for going off on that tangent."

He pulled up a chair and sat across from her. "How did you think to use 'Moira' as your name?"

She shrugged and moved a few hefty volumes to the other side of the table. "I don't really know. It just seemed like a good idea. I'm not even sure where I heard it."

"Your father's mother was named 'Moira,' but very few people know that. It would seem that you know more about yourself than you think you do," he relayed.

She watched him, slightly perplexed for a moment. "Thank you for telling me. I suppose I should return to my research. I found a potion mentioned in the leather book, one that can repel the killing curse once for the person ingesting the potion. However, the ingredients were not mentioned in the terms we would identify them by presently. This other book has a few pages in the middle that tell what the older ingredients would be now."

"But what else did you find regarding the staff?" he questioned curtly.

Raising an eyebrow, she dealt him the infamous over-the-glasses glare that he had seen Minerva use on occasion. The Elvish woman could do it without glasses though. "Only someone descended from the original wizards is able to use it, which means that though I can't use it, you might be able to."

"Going back to our thief for a moment, why would a man who has Saruman's staff be so eager to look for another one?" he questioned.

"Apparently when the people switched from staff magic to wand magic, as staffs were put in storage facilities they were all called staffs of Saruman," she explained.

Severus pondered the situation for a moment and then he looked over at her, wide-eyed, as if a light had been switched on in his mind. "Going by what you have just told me, what if it wasn't Saruman's staff he stole? What if it was some other early wizard's staff?"

The Elvish woman sat up straight in her seat. "Could Saruman's staff be here with us then?"

"If that is the case, then we may need to learn how to use it before our thief arrives and knows how to use whatever he did find," Severus recommended.

"I'm going to need a cot in the library. I honestly don't know much about actually using the wands," she admitted.

His gaze drifted off to the side for a moment, as if he were trying to organize a few file cabinets in his mind. Quickly he faced her again. "But I think I might. I should have thought of it sooner, but there are probably several books about staff magic in the collection of books I have from the family estate. But I can do that later. You and I need to see Albus about your file, actually Heryn O'Sheen's file."

"What's so special about my file?" she inquired.

"The incident that could have caused the purple discoloration on the thief's skin that we were told about has been moved to your file, according to the old Slytherin House files," he explained. She nodded and they headed toward the Headmaster's office.

Severus whispered the password and the Elvish woman followed him up the winding staircase. They quietly entered the study, but stopped in their tracks at the sight that met their eyes. Minerva was sitting atop the Headmaster's desk, kissing him soundly. Severus cleared his throat and averted his gaze. "Perhaps we should have knocked," he commented.

The other two immediately separated, blushing furiously. "Severus, we weren't expecting you. What do you need?" Minerva inquired in an attempt to muster up some of her dignity.

Smiling politely, the Elvish woman answered. "You don't need to be embarrassed about what you allowed us to see by accident. We need Heryn O'Sheen's file from when she taught here."

Albus stepped forward. "I assume this has something to do with the potion accident?"

The younger man nodded. "I was looking for the thief's student records in the Slytherin House files, and what a frightful mess that was, when I discovered a note saying that the potion incident had been transferred to Professor O'Sheen's file."

"I should have thought of that myself," Albus said as he walked over to an old filing cabinet. After fingering through a few papers, he removed a manila folder and brought it over to the Elvish woman.

She immediately began scanning it for the correct information. Severus noticed that she was attempting to skim over everything else, but he also understood why. He knew that seeing these glimpses of her past bothered her, he could sense it in the brief second that her eyes looked into his and then returned to the task at hand. Suddenly she stopped scanning and yanked out a few sheets of paper.

"Here it is!" she exclaimed before showing the papers to the others. "The young man's name is Byron Hornet. Apparently while in Potions class, he was attempting to brew something other than what had been assigned to the class and he had somehow managed to disguise what he was actually doing so the professor wasn't suspicious. A few ingredients he used caused the concoction to flare up and backfire on him, permanently scarring him in such a way that magic could not repair the damage."

"And do you remember any of that happening?" Severus interrogated.

She shook her head. "No, the name and the face aren't even familiar. I don't know why I remembered only the tattoo."

"I suggest that we send an owl to the Ministry of Magic as soon as possible, informing them about the thief's real name," Minerva advised. "Have you two learned anything more about the staff?"

"Only that we may need to learn how to use it. Even though the thief already stole a staff, it might not have been Saruman's staff. In actuality, Saruman's staff might be the one hidden here and it could be the reason that the thief is coming to the castle," Severus relayed.

"I'm afraid you won't find how to use it from books. From what I can recall on the subject, a wizard who is able to use it already knows how to harness its power. However, I do know that using a staff involves proficiency in wandless magic. That was one of the reasons why the staffs were considered dangerous. However, what you might find in a few of the old volumes is the language that the ancient wizards used," Albus told them.

Minerva cleared her throat and everyone's attention turned to her. "I hate to interrupt this line of conversation, but I want to apologize for this afternoon and the distress I caused."

"That's alright," Severus reassured her.

"Thank you. Do we have any other plans regarding the staff?" she asked.

Severus thought for a moment and glanced at the Elvish woman before turning back to Minerva. "I'm planning to test an idea later tonight," he paused and glanced at the clock over his shoulder as it read 9:30. "It would seem that not only have Her-Moira and I missed dinner, but it is also later than I thought it was. We shall see you two in the morning."

The Elvish woman followed him to the door and they left Albus and Minerva. The Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress exchanged kind smiles and he took her hands in his. "Tabby, I think Severus is right. After a day like today, we should both call it a night and turn in for the evening. May I walk you to your rooms?"

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly. "Of course," she replied. Then she dealt him a teasing grin. "And I suppose you'll want to tuck me in too in order to make certain that I go to sleep?"

He chuckled and they linked arms as they left his study. "My dear, I intend to see that you get back to your old, chipper self, even if it means having Poppy sleep on your couch."

She swatted his arm playfully as they walked along. "You wouldn't dare! With my luck, she would have me taking afternoon naps and teaching only half of my classes."

When they reached her door, they paused and he stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Goodnight, Tabby. I think I will let you tuck yourself in, this time," he told her with a smile.

"Goodnight, Albus," she added. This time when he kissed her goodnight, it was a warm, passionate kiss that she responded to by pulling herself closer. When they broke apart she smiled almost shyly.

"What is it, my dear?" he asked her softly.

"Albus, I love you, but I need to take things slowly if you don't mind," she remarked.

He held her in a comfortable embrace. "I understand, my dear, and I quite agree. I love you too," he told her before they parted company for the evening.

After Severus and the Elvish woman had left Albus' study, she looked at him questioningly. "What is your other idea regarding the staff?"

"First, you and I will have something light to eat. Then you will go to sleep and I will stay in your sitting room, assuming that you will sleepwalk again. Should you sleepwalk in search of the rest of the staff, I will follow you and retrieve the pieces," he explained frankly. She nodded in agreement.

When they reached her quarters, he conjured two salads for dinner. "You should avoid referring to yourself in the third person. The fact remains that you are Heryn O'Sheen, even if you do not remember it," he pointed out flatly as they ate.

"I wish I could remember it," she stated as she stopped eating and rubbed her temples.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked with sudden concern.

"I don't know. I've been getting headaches every once in a while since I came back to Hogwarts," she admitted.

"Then you ought to see Poppy about it in the morning," he instructed. Abruptly he recalled an important point he had brushed by earlier that day. "I shouldn't have kept drilling you about the staff. What else did you say you found in the library?"

She looked up at him. "I found a potion that will shield against the killing curse once. It might be useful in the next few days."

"Then we ought to start preparing a few batches tomorrow," he suggested. That night as she retired to her room, Severus sat on the couch, waiting to see if his theory was correct.

(my thanks to excessivelyperky, S.S.S.570, Quill of Minerva, and Leta McGotor for reviewing :D)


	8. Cauldron of confusion

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, and ideas (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. All Elf-related topics, the Elvish language, references to staff magic, and any other Lord of the Rings nouns belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and the Elvish dictionary at Nevrast. The titles of the chapters were inspired by "Once Upon a December" from the cartoon movie _Anastasia_. Professor Heryn O'Sheen is mine.

Chapter 8: Cauldron of Confusion.

After roughly an hour he watched her walk out of her bedroom in a sensible tartan night gown. _Minerva gave that to her for Christmas one year_, he recalled as he stood and quietly followed her through the main door. He nodded slowly as he kept an eye on her, impressed that she knew exactly where she was going in the castle with her eyes closed. Being ever observant as he walked close to her, he noticed that the skin near her ankles had goose bumps and decided to set up a warming charm to prevent her feet from being cold.

She walked with a purposeful stride as he kept a watchful eye out in front of her in case anything should be in her way. At last she stopped in the kitchens and stood in the center of the pantry. He used his wand to magically remove a wrapped object under the floor where she stood by causing the floor to become a penetrable jelly-like substance for a few seconds. He was only given a moment to uncover it and reveal it as part of the staff when she walked off again in another direction.

They found themselves in the Potions classroom and she began pushing against one of the bookshelves. He helped her move it and she ran her fingers over a section of the wall. They had found the third piece of the wand. After removing it, he was again following her. For sleepwalking, her quick pace surprised him.

He magically extracted the next piece from the left wall in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The final piece came from the wall in the forbidden books section of the library. Once he had removed the item, he walked her back to her rooms. She returned to her bed while he elected to get what little sleep the wee hours of the morning could offer on the couch.

She woke to a sunny Saturday morning and dressed quickly, not thinking about the previous evening. It all came back to her when she found him on the couch, snoring like an old tree saw. In her dream she had found everything she had been looking for, and it had not felt like a dream. As she crouched down near him, she realized that he looked almost peaceful in his sleep. Pondering what he might be dreaming about, she reached over and gently touched his face, calling "Severus."

Before she could realize or react to what she was doing, she found herself sitting on the couch, leaning over him and caressing his brow. She found herself leaning closer toward him until her lips brushed his forehead. Slowly she pulled back as his eyes opened, but he had yet to remove her hand. He looked at her curiously and sat up, still locking his gaze with hers. In an almost fluid motion, he reached out and cupped her face with his hand.

_Please be Heryn, just for this moment. I cannot believe that you would wake me in such a way and then disappear again_, he mentally requested. His heart sank when he looked in her eyes and saw them abruptly look around the room in furious surprise. "Severus, how did I end up here? What's going on?"

He let her go instantly and the two stood. She heard him cursing angrily under his breath for what seemed like a solid two minutes before he could compose himself to face her again. "You really do not remember how you came to be sitting on the couch?" he interrogated sharply.

She sighed heavily and shook her head. "I know I awoke, but as soon as I entered the living room, I wasn't myself. And then there I was, sitting on the…" she suddenly trailed off as her eyes shut tightly and her hands rushed to her temples.

Attempting to put his contempt aside, he moved toward her and touched her shoulder. "Is it another headache?"

"Yes, and they have been getting worse. Every time I'm not myself, I get one of these headaches. I don't know how much more of this I can take," she expressed.

"You really should see Poppy about those," he suggested, sounding less irritated than he had been moments earlier.

She nodded and then remembered the staff pieces on the coffee table. "Why don't we freshen up and then meet back here to examine the staff?"

"That sounds reasonable," he remarked.

He returned to his own rooms while she showered and dressed. An hour later he returned, levitating a tray of toast, crumpets, lemon curd, and assorted fruit. She raised an eyebrow when he set the tray on her kitchen table. "It's Saturday, but you and I missed breakfast in the Great Hall. I figured that will all the strange things that could befall us today, a good meal in the morning might be a practical idea."

She agreed and decided to make a pot of tea. After they ate in companionable silence, he unwrapped all the pieces of the wand and arranged them on the coffee table by how they appeared to fit together, including the head piece. "Well here we are, but what do we do with it? Did you by any chance happen to read how to assemble this ancient walking stick?"

As he was asking the question, he made a gesture moving his hand, palm up, along the length of the staff. A glow emitted from the pieces and they began putting themselves together. He held the staff in his wand hand when the assembly was complete. "I think learning how to use this will not be as complicated for you as we had first thought," she told him. "The question is now that we have it, what do we do with it?"

Thinking for a moment, he studied the staff. "I should probably learn to use it, but I think it would be best if we looked for alternative ways to stop the thief."

"Then do you want to look at the potion I found yesterday?" she inquired.

He nodded and they rushed off to the library. Finding the book, they took it back to the Potions classroom and began assembling ingredients. After a few minutes, he found that he did not have some of the herbs that were needed. Having converted the old ingredients to modern herbs, he began to look for substitution herbs that had the same affect on a potion as the ones requested. Then they began making the potions, deciding that if both were making concoctions that could repel the killing curse, than everyone would be much better off.

She had brought a handbag with her and glanced over his shoulder as he added the herbs to the cauldron. He raised an eyebrow as the potion turned from sky-blue to sapphire-blue. "You would think that for a Potions Master, substitutions would be simple," he grumbled.

"You need to add lungwort. It's supposed to be green and that should fix it," she told him.

He turned to her and dealt her a half-smile. "Only you would notice that. How is it that you've retained so much knowledge about potions, but so little regarding your own life?"

She shrugged and he moved aside, allowing her to add the lungwort to the cauldron. "I wish I had an answer to that one. I feel as though half of me is hiding, as if behind a wall," she stated cryptically. As the potion turned a leaf-green, she looked at the herbs in front of her. "Severus, could you please hand me a bottle of lavender?"

Walking over to his shelf, he quickly found the bottle. "Are you sure? I would have thought to add something else."

She sighed and placed a hand on the table, a familiar gesture. "I know what I'm doing. You trusted me with the lungwort, so please hand me the lavender."

The tone, the gesture, everything about the situation was too familiar for him. He handed the bottle to her with his right hand and then paused. He slowly wrapped his right arm around her waist. Placing his other hand on left her shoulder, he paused and nuzzled her neck. Then he began trailing kisses along her neck. Her own responsiveness surprised her and she was reluctant to flee. Everything about the action seemed very familiar. But then he whispered, "Heryn."

Then she hastily broke away. When she faced him, he recognized the glare as one indicating that her temper was about to make its presence known. She had a temper that could match his when she wanted to. He knew he was about to experience the full brunt of her temper, but he also remembered that her angriest moments usually sprang from hurt. He was not surprised when she slapped him, leaving a stinging red mark across his cheek.

"Enough of this! I refuse to be used like this anymore! I understand how badly you want me to be Heryn, but the memory splits I've been experiencing don't work that way. I know now that I am her, but no matter how hard you and everyone else in this blasted castle tries to jog my memories, it doesn't seem to be working fast enough or efficiently enough!" she shrieked.

_I believe it is, but I won't argue with you right now_. "I'm sorry, I should not have done that," he said quietly, knowing that she could slap him again.

When her fist hit the table, a gesture he usually associated with himself, he actually jumped slightly. "I'm sorry I came to this place! I'm sorry that I'm not who you need me to be. I'm sorry that as I am right now, I do not feel for you what you feel toward me, I've only known you for a few days, but something in me does. Something in my mind has an incredibly strong attachment to you, something that I cannot readily access. You have no idea how much I wish I could remember everything and not feel as if I've gotten lost in my own house!"

Despite her angry words, he saw the need in her eyes for an understanding. Reaching out, he took her hands in his. This time she neither slapped him, nor pulled back. "I know you're upset, and you have every right to be. I think we should take a break for a while and then we will go to my study and retrieve a few more herbs for substitutions," he recommended.

She nodded and he let her hands go. Heading toward the door, she only turned briefly and she seemed to have calmed down. "One of these days we should finish this conversation, on my side as well as yours."

"I know you dislike hearing this, but your temper has not changed much in all the years you've been away. We will talk, but I'd like you to meet be here in half an hour to finish the potions," he stated, moving toward the door himself.

The Elvish woman quickened her pace, wanting to head back to her rooms to settle down for a while. She rounded a corner and stopped suddenly as she watched Minerva and Albus kissing softly. "Don't forget tonight's chess game," she told him.

He grinned and kissed her forehead. "Now how on earth could I forget that when you've promised to make dinner beforehand?"

She swatted his arm playfully. "Go on, shoo. You said that you were going to contact the Ministry of Magic."

"Alright, I shall go, my dear," he said after kissing her warmly.

Minerva noticed the Elvish woman after Albus had left. Then she saw the distress and weariness in the woman's eyes. Walking over to her, Minerva stared at her with concern. "Moira, what on earth is troubling you?"

"Could we talk about this sitting down?" she requested.

The Transfiguration professor nodded and the two walked toward her rooms. "Would you like some tea?" Minerva offered.

The other woman nodded and they sat in silence for a few minutes, sipping the tea. "Professor McGonagall I-"

"Minerva," the older woman corrected.

"Minerva, lately my mind has been doing some strange things and I become Heryn O'Sheen for a short moment. Apparently I am much more friendly to Severus when this occurs, but it last so shortly that he is quite hurt when I end up as I am again," she admitted.

Setting her teacup down, Minerva eyed her with compassion. "And what occurred today that has you so out of sorts?"

She sighed and answered with a hint of reluctance. "We were working on a potion I had found and then he was kissing my neck. If it's possible, could you please tell me something about the nature of my relationship with Severus?"

Minerva's brow furrowed. "It really isn't my place to talk about that sort of thing. He should really be the one to tell you."

"Please," the Elvish woman began, setting her teacup on the coffee table. "At least tell me a little of what went on. It's driving us both mad."

"Very well," she agreed. Minerva looked away and smiled before speaking again. "I caught you two snogging in the hallway once. It was a few years before the battle and I was heading to my office that evening to find a few essay prompts for the next day's lessons. I passed you two standing in a closed doorway. All I had to do was clear my throat and the two of you split apart faster than a magnet facing its polar opposite. Your face was quite red and all Severus could do was look at his feet."

"Did either of us say anything?" the Elvis woman inquired.

Minerva laughed. "You said, 'I'm sorry, Minerva. Next time I shall be much more discreet.' But Severus said, 'McGonagall should really mind her own business. It's a good thing we've both got locks on our quarters.' And then I kept walking."

"It does sound like something he would say. How would you say we related to each other?" she inquired.

The older woman seemed to hesitate. _It really isn't my place to tell her this_. "You two were quite close. It nearly killed him when he thought you had died. He blamed himself and it took him years to get over the nightmares. We had a memorial service for you, though we could not find your body. I think he said two sentences because he was so overwhelmed with grief and he had to fight hard not to show it."

"Thank you, Minerva," the Elvish woman said, glancing at the clock. "I should be going. He told me to meet him in half an hour."

Minerva walked the woman to the door. "I wish you well in this, and please just try to understand him before you become too upset with how he sees you."

She nodded and said, "I will," before leaving.

Deciding to seek him out in his study, she surmised that it could only be the other closed door inside his rooms and she spoke the password at the main door. After she had passed through the doorway, she found the door she was looking for unlocked. When she had entered, she noted that his study was immaculately clean, with dark wood décor, dim lighting, a cabinet for herbs and potions, several thick volumes ranging from potion-related topics to Gothic novels, and very few pictures. Wandering over to his bookcase as he perused the cabinet, she held a framed picture that had been lying face-down. She almost gasped when she saw herself, but then she noticed the smile.

"I didn't leave the door open for you to come in and investigate my shelves," he said dryly, startling her because she had not seen him upon entering.

She turned and found him in a mahogany chair. "I haven't smiled like that in a long time. Who took this picture?" she inquired, showing it to him.

He walked over to her, looked at it, and set it back on the shelf. "I did, and I would appreciate it if you could please stop snooping," he curtly replied, grabbing various herbs from the cabinet and inviting her to do the same.

"After we finish the potions, I would like that explanation," she requested.

"The sooner we get this over with, the better," he grumbled.

Completing their tasks did not take as long as either had anticipated. Upon their return to his study, her gaze fell on another face-down picture. When she turned it over, she almost dropped it. The picture was of him with his arm wrapped around her waist. She was grinning at him and he appeared to be laughing. It looked as though he had surprised her, but she had been glad to see him. She handed the picture to him with a questioning expression.

"I think it's time you told me the truth. What were we, Severus?" she asked.

He took the picture and looked down at the floor, pausing before answering. "We were in love," he admitted in a tone barely above a whisper.

There was a long quiet pause. "I would like to know how that came about," she coaxed quietly.

He disappeared into his bedroom and emerged holding a pensieve. After setting it on the coffee table and allowing her to place her handbag onto the floor, he took her hands in his, he led her over to the couch, and they both sat. He met her eyes with a painful expression in his own. "This could take a while."

(my thanks to Always Hopeful, S.S.S.570, and Leta McGotor for reviewing :D)


	9. Once upon a December

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, and ideas (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. All Elf-related topics, the Elvish language, references to staff magic, and any other Lord of the Rings nouns belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and the Elvish dictionary at Nevrast. The titles of the chapters were inspired by "Once Upon a December" from the cartoon movie _Anastasia_. Professor Heryn O'Sheen is mine.

Chapter 9: Once upon a December.

_It was a special pensieve that was charmed to allow the viewer to watch the memories in third person. The first scene in the pensieve was of Severus reading a letter at his graduation while he waited to receive his diploma. "Severus, though you are no longer a student, don't ever stop learning and wondering. It is by learning that we find ways to improvise and grow," the letter ended. The Elvish woman knew that it was from her as she continued roaming through the pensieve._

_Her ears picked up a few lines of Mozart as she saw herself playing the piano. Instinctively she knew that roughly seven or eight years had passed. She stopped upon hearing someone at her door and stood to open it to Severus. "You're early, it shows good initiative as an apprentice," she remarked._

_He nodded and looked past her to the piano. "Professor, was that you playing the piano?"_

_She gestured for him to follow her and showed him the piece. "Yes it was. Tell me, do you read music?"_

"_I've never really had much of an ear for music, but I do like it," he replied. She raised an eyebrow, noticing that his brow furrowed._

"_Something worries you," she observed._

"_Professor, though I'm grateful for what you are doing, I need to know something. Why on earth would you take me as an apprentice, especially after what I've done and what I've been?" he questioned brusquely._

_Smiling, she invited him to sit down at the bench. "You have so much potential for great things, my Severus. I want you to try a few things for me. I have a hunch that you could be better at this than you thought."_

_She picked out a short key exercise and told him to mimic what she did. He followed her example and soon they managed an easy duet. "You were right, I'm never done learning, am I?" he stated wryly._

"_No. There is always something more to be learned, even when it comes from those we know best," she relayed._

_The Elvish woman watched as the room changed again. She saw both of them in the Potions classroom, herself as Potions Mistress and noticed that another few years had passed. As he handed her what she had asked for, his arm wrapped around her waist, as if in slow motion. She closed her eyes for a moment as he began to kiss her neck. After a moment she turned and their lips met for the first time. Her arms encircled his neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Passion seemed to flow freely as the kisses intensified. Finally they broke apart to breath and rested their foreheads together._

_ Suddenly she squirmed out of his embrace and took two steps back, as if shocked at what had just occurred. Wringing her hands, she looked at the floor as she spoke. "Severus, I am terribly sorry that I allowed such a thing to occur. It was extremely irresponsible of me, seeing as you are my apprentice. You may want to leave now."_

_ He was certain that he had not misread her responsiveness to him. He realized that she was giving him a way out when he did not want one, nor did he need one. She had also forgotten that along with Occlumency, he was also experienced in Legillimens. "I'm not going anywhere," he told her in a quiet, passionate tone._

_ "Then I am," she stated primly. However, she did not get very far. He caught her by the wrist as she tried to leave and pulled her to him._

_ "You misunderstand," was all he said before kissing her ardently._

_ They sank to the floor as the snogging began. Later they cuddled together, propped up against a few cabinets. "In all my years, no one has ever kissed me like that. I would like to know what possessed you to do that, if you would care to enlighten a befuddled Elf," she remarked._

_ He lovingly kissed her lips and grinned wryly. "I have never felt for anyone what I feel for you. You knew what I was and you still believed in me. Why did you let me kiss you again?"_

_ A crimson blush began to cover her face. "I am incredibly embarrassed to admit it, but I have developed feelings for you, my Severus. This whole thing is shameful, I know, but no one has ever been this close to me."_

_ They shared a sound kiss. "It is not shameful to be in love."_

_ "But Severus, I was your teacher," she protested._

_He shook his head and smiled at her. "First of all, I haven't been your student in eleven years. Secondly, you forget that I happen to be twenty-eight and teaching four classes of Elementary Potions. Lastly," he paused and looked directly into her eyes, "you have no idea how long I've wanted to kiss you like that," he told her breathlessly._

"_But we must consider what the staff will say. I am already older than you, and will undoubtedly outlive you because of my heritage," she added._

"_And I'm not only cynical and unsociable, but I have the worst past anyone could ask for. Yet here we are, sitting on the floor. I shall leave the decision with you, Heryn," he told her._

_He had expected her to leave the room or tell him to leave. When she stood, she pulled him up and seemed to hesitate, as if putting a foot in the pool to test the water. Then with a speed he had not expected, she grabbed him by his collar and kissed him with conviction. He wrapped his arms around her again and deepened the kiss._

_ "But I am older than you," she attempted to argue when the kiss had ended. She knew in her heart though that she was fighting a loosing battle._

_ "You said yourself that you would most likely outlive me, so I fail to see why age matters," he replied rationally._

_ The room transformed from the Potions classroom to the staffroom. Garland and Christmas decorations were strewn about the walls. The Potions Mistress and Severus entered the room and noticed the mistletoe above their heads. They kissed tenderly as flying instructor Rolanda Hooch snapped a photograph._

_ Now she was outside on the grounds, watching herself strolling by the lake on a sunny spring day. She and Severus had decided to visit the giant squid and she handed him her camera, wanting a picture of herself with the creature._

_ Circling the lake and making a few splashes in the water with her foot, she attempted to coax the creature out of hiding. To her dismay, it did not feel like making an appearance that day. She sighed and turned back to Severus._

_ "I can't get him to come out. He must have other plans for today," she stated._

_ "That's fine. Actually I would rather just take a picture of you anyway," Severus replied. She smiled magnificently because he was taking the picture._

_ As the click of the camera button was heard, the scene shifted to an autumn picnic for the staff as coloured leaves of red, gold, and orange swirled around them. She had set down a picnic basket when Minerva stepped over a moderate pile of leaves to talk with her._

_ "Heryn, I absolutely loved your applesauce. I was wondering what cooking spell you used," the older woman inquired._

_ She smiled with an heir of pride. "Thank you, Minerva, but I used a muggle recipe. When I cook, I prefer to use recipes that require ingredients to be dealt with instead of just stuck together. It makes me feel as though I have accomplished something."_

_ "I suppose that's why you are Potions Mistress. Making a potion requires similar skills. And I want to congratulate you on doing such a fine job these last sixteen years," Minerva commented._

_ "I have always enjoyed it. Severus has also taken to the craft easily and I think someday he will make an excellent Potions Master. I would even-" she suddenly stopped in mid-sentence when someone walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, causing her to jump. "Severus, didn't Albus tell you to rake a few leaves out of the way?"_

_ He chuckled and whispered in her ear. "I'd much rather catch you than those infernal leaves that won't even stay where I put them with magic." She laughed and they smiled warmly at each other, not realizing that Minerva also had a muggle camera and had decided to use it on them._

_ The Elvish woman suddenly found herself in her quarters, glancing at a calendar that told her it was now December of the same year. The younger version of herself and Severus sat together on her sofa and he fastened a necklace around her neck. "Do you know what this is?" he asked, holding up the item at the end of the necklace._

_ She smiled warmly. "Of course I know what it is, my father was Irish. That is a claddagh. The question is whether you realize the significance of what you have just given me."_

_ Apprehension that was not normally present registered on his face. "I have no right to ask you, nor am I ready to commit to a formal… an engagement, but-"_

_ She placed her hand gently over his mouth. "I understand. And I wouldn't ask you to."_

_ He reached out to touch her face and caressed her cheek. "You deserve better."_

_ She scoffed and leaned closer to him. "Haven't you learned by now that if I do not want to do or be a part of something, I do as I please? That if I do not wish to associate myself with someone, I stay away? I love you, my Severus."_

_ "And I love you, Heryn," he said before they kissed. He pulled back slowly, wanting to say more. "What about a promise, to stand together, perhaps even in the instance of death?"_

_ Smiling, she brushed her lips with his. "That sounds almost like a proposition to me. To be together until death part us, though it sounds suspicious, I say yes to your idea."_

_ He pulled her to him and kissed her, softly but passionately, rubbing small circles on her back. She leaned into his kiss and deepened it. They exchanged heated kisses for several minutes, being slow and fluidic instead of intense and harsh. The next time they broke away, he moved over to her side and picked her up. She was not surprised like he expected, but appeared pleased with a wry smile. He suddenly stopped at her bedroom door._

_ "Are you waiting for the Headmaster's permission?" she teased with a smirk._

_ He looked deep into her violet eyes. "No, just yours."_

_ "Then you have it," she whispered. They shared another searing kiss before he pushed open the door to her bedroom._

_ As the seen changed to the infirmary, the Elvish woman felt slightly uncomfortable about realizing what her former self had been capable of, along with the depth of the relationship she had once shared with the Potions Master. Poppy and Minerva were bringing in wounded people as Severus rushed into the room. "The battle's over, but we have a field with more bodies than I'd like to think about. I didn't get a good look an anything except that those I could see had definitely stopped moving."_

_ Poppy sighed with exasperation. "This is an absolute mess! I am amazed that we won with so many of us getting hurt. Would you go down and brew more healing potions?"_

_ He nodded. "Of course, Heryn and I will head down to the dungeons and make twice as much."_

_ "Severus wait!" Minerva called just before he reached the door. Her eyes held a look of apprehension. "Heryn isn't here. I haven't seen her since the beginning of the battle."_

_ His face went whiter than snow as he stared at her. In an instant he rushed back out to the fields, plunging into the smoke to look for Heryn._

"I know that what I have told you is a bit much to take in all at once, but I hope it has helped you to better understand some of my actions," he expressed. Though he seemed outwardly composed, he was nervous and edgy on the inside, worrying about her reaction.

Minerva also worried about the Elvish woman's reaction to the news she would receive. She was correcting a stack of essays when Albus returned. After greeting him with a kiss, she asked him about any news he might have. "Tabby, I've owled Fudge and it seems that they lost track of the thief. He seems to have disappeared again and the only consistent piece of information they had for us was that he was headed here."

She sighed and pinned her hair again. "What are we to do now?"

"I suppose we wait to see what Severus and our former professor have come up with," he responded.

Pausing to think for a moment, she paced from one end of the room to the other. Stopping at the center of the room, she faced him again. "Why don't we give them a hand by finding a few books in the library that might be of use to them?"

He smiled and nodded. "I think that is a good idea and a good use of our time."

At the library, they immediately headed for the same area in the forbidden books section in which the Elvish woman and Severus had been conducting their research. They talked as they perused through yellowed text and leather-bound volumes in search of anything that the other two may not have come across yet.

"It looks as though they have read through most of these in order to give us the information that they have," Minerva commented with a sigh.

Albus nodded. "You could be right, Tabby. I don't think you told me where they are."

She placed a few books on the table. "They were working on an important potion, I think, before Moira came to visit me. She was asking about her previous relationship to Severus."

He pulled a book off the shelf and flipped through it. "How much did you tell her?"

"Not much, I only told her enough let her know that they indeed had a relationship. When she came by, she told me that he was planning to tell her about it," Minerva relayed as she placed a few books back on the shelf.

"I do believe that when he was with her, it was the only time that I ever saw him happy," Albus mentioned.

Minerva nodded. "I agree. He also did not hide his feelings for her much. Do you recall her last picnic with us?" she paused as he nodded. "He sneaked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Something tells me that they would have married had she stayed."

Albus lifted another book from the shelf. "You are probably correct, my dear. We can only hope that this time things will work out differently for them. I believe I have found something of use here."

The book contained ancient words unfamiliar to her and she looked at him with a questioning gaze. "Albus, what is this?"

"It's a book of wizards' incantations from the times of Middle Earth. It may help Severus as he assembles and learns to use the staff," the old wizard relayed.

"Why don't I take it to him now?" she suggested.

"I think that would be a suitable idea. I shall see you at dinner and then for chess," he commented as they parted ways, kissing tenderly. As Minerva sauntered toward the dungeons, she felt apprehensive for the Elvish woman's situation.

The woman's hands were shaking as she placed them in her lap. "There is something that you should know, something I've tried to push from my mind since it happened," she paused and reached into the handbag she had brought to remove a small pensieve of her own. Then she looked directly into his dark eyes. "I've been carrying the pensieve with me. I had to be certain that you were the one before I showed this to you. While I was at the muggle hospital, I overheard part of a conversation that I was not supposed to."

_She lay there on the bed, feeling exhausted and disoriented. As she slowly opened her eyes, she noticed two nurses talking in low voices. Obviously they were unaware of their patient's good hearing. "Do you think we should tell her?" the taller nurse asked._

_ The shorter nurse shook her head adamantly. "No, it would only do more harm than good. When we first woke her, she had no idea who she was or where she came from. Therefore she probably doesn't remember people in her life either."_

_ "I still think she has a right to know," the other nurse argued._

_ "To know what? She was barely three weeks along and probably did not know herself. Why cause her undue stress? She is still able to have children. You will tell her nothing of that," the shorter nurse ordered._

For once in his life he was completely speechless as their eyes met again. She looked away from him and stood. He was surprised to see tears in her beautiful violet eyes. "I'm so sorry. This must be so dreadful for you, having me here looking like 'Heryn,' but not remembering myself as 'Heryn.' I've failed you so badly that I'm astonished you even took the time to clarify the past for me. I spent eight years trying to find myself in Elvish lore when I should have come here for the answers. I must disgust you with the fact that I… I can't even say it," she ended in anguish.

Suddenly she darted out of the door. He followed her, reflecting on what had just happened. _Of all the things to tell me, she had to tell me that. I think I would have been better off not knowing. None of this would have happened if it weren't for that infernal bloody battle! The whole mess is my own blasted fault for not looking hard enough. I just hope that she doesn't try something foolish and injure herself._

To his surprise, she only returned to her rooms. He paused after she had entered and then passed through the door himself. His acute hearing immediately picked up something he had not expected to hear again. He found her playing _Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata_ on the piano without sheet music, tears streaming down her face, passed her half-closed eyes.

"I thought you didn't recall how to do that," he commented quietly, barely interrupting her concentration.

(my thanks to Lady Jolly and Leta McGotor for reviewing :D)


	10. And a song someone sings

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, and ideas (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. All Elf-related topics, the Elvish language, references to staff magic, and any other Lord of the Rings nouns belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and the Elvish dictionary at Nevrast. The titles of the chapters were inspired by "Once Upon a December" from the cartoon movie _Anastasia_. Professor Heryn O'Sheen is mine.

Chapter 10: And a song someone sings.

She stopped a moment later and faced him, wiping her eyes. "I didn't know I could do that either. Some things have changed since my arrival here. I just sat down, stopped thinking, and started playing. Did I usually resort to this when I was upset?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Now before you do anything else, I have something to tell you," he stated as he sat down on the piano bench next to her.

"I'm so sorry for everything," she choked as she wiped her eyes again.

"Granted, I wish you had told me about that last part sooner or not at all," he began gruffly, "but I do respect the fact that you did tell me. The point is that the situation, in all its entirety, was not your fault. It you want me to blame something, I blame that battle! I blame Byron Hornet! I'd even blame Fudge if I thought it would help!"

The Elvish woman stood and began to pace. "How can you tell me these things? I am a shadow of who I once was."

"I would never blame you for any of this. I would sooner blame myself for failing to find you. Neither the miscarriage, your memory loss, nor any of our current circumstances were ever your fault," he told her softly. "If you want me to be upset with someone, then I choose myself. I tried for three years after you disappeared, but it wasn't good enough."

Not knowing what to say, she simply stood and watched him. He turned back to the piano and began playing _Moonlight Sonata_. He played the melancholy piece with a passion she had rarely seen in anyone. She closed her eyes, only listening to the melody, then she let her reverie take over and found herself standing closer to him, thinking with someone else's mind.

He had blocked out the room and everything around him, focusing only on the music that he knew without having to read the notes. A pair of hands on his shoulders only drew him out of his trance for a moment. As he continued to play, the person behind him massaged his neck to the tempo of the music. They remained in the trance until a knock was heard at the door.

Minerva had gone down to the Potions classroom, seeing newly bottled potions, but finding no one. She knocked on the door of Severus' office as well as the door of his rooms and had received no response. Her last idea was to head to the Elvish woman's room. Hearing music as she approached the door, she was certain that at least someone would be there.

Severus left the piano bench to answer the door. The Elvish woman turned around slowly after a long pause. He was surprised to find the Transfiguration professor when he opened the door. "Minerva, what brings you by?" he inquired.

After she had stepped inside, she produced the book. "Albus and I found this in the library and thought that you might be able to use it. The book contains ancient wizards' incantations and may be of use as you learn to work with the staff."

"Thank you," he told her as he accepted the book. "The staff assembled itself this morning after I waved my hand over it."

"I should be able to help you with the words as well, considering my studies of Middle Earth," the Elvish woman remarked over his shoulder.

He nearly dropped the book as she suddenly grabbed her head and cried out in pain. Setting the book down quickly on the chair, he caught her as she nearly collapsed in his arms. Minerva's brow furrowed with worry. "What just happened?"

"Whenever she has a moment that she thinks as Heryn, her mind fights back when she returns to her other self and the shift gives her a headache, only I don't think it has been this painful before," he explained.

She looked over at Minerva for a moment. "He's right. They have become more painful lately."

"I think it's time we took you to Poppy," the older woman recommended.

The medwitch opened the door quickly when she heard them knock. "What seems to be the problem?"

The Elvish woman winced in pain. "I have been having more problems with my memory and I'm getting terrible headaches from them."

"Well then sit down and we'll see what we can do for you," Poppy suggested.

The medwitch gave her something for the pain and then used a few spells from her wand to examine her new patient's head and mind. Everyone was surprised when she gasped. "What is it?" the Elvish woman questioned.

"Merlin's beard, I've never seen anyone's mind so fragmented! You never had amnesia," Poppy began.

"Then what did she have?" Severus barked.

Glaring at him for a moment so that he knew she wanted him to be more patient, she turned back to the woman she was examining. "Did muggles treat you when you left the battlefield eight years ago?" she inquired.

After the woman sitting on the bed nodded, the medwitch continued. "Of course they wouldn't know it wasn't amnesia. Someone has placed a memory charm on you, and not a very good one. Apparently it only worked well when you were far away from Hogwarts. Once you came home, your memory and mind began to fragment themselves, trying to fill in the gaps. With your mind doing that, you're lucky that you've been sane at all. If we remove the charm, your headaches should dissipate and you should be back to your old self. Unfortunately I don't know how to remove this particular one."

"But I might," Severus commented, noticing that there was something Poppy did not want to tell them. "It may take some time though. I have to look up the potion in the old lesson archives."

"Is that because it was one of the potions I taught as Potions Mistress?" the Elvish woman inquired.

He nodded and the medwitch spoke up. "Heryn or Moira, whatever you want to go by these days, you need to rest. I'll give you something for the pain and then I want you to take it easy for the remained of the day," she instructed.

"You also might want to give her a sedative," he suggested, giving her a meaningful glance. The medwitch agreed.

The woman walked back to her quarters with Severus and Minerva after being handed a sedative potion to take before she rested. After she had entered and handed the book Minerva had brought by earlier to Severus, the other two walked toward the dungeons. "Are you certain that you can remove the memory charm?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Of course I can, I just need to find the proper potion. I feel like an idiot for not thinking of it sooner."

"The symptoms weren't clear and even she did not know. Did it seem to you that Poppy didn't tell us everything?" Minerva probed.

Sighing, he spoke gruffly. "She neglected to tell us what will happen if the memory charm cannot be removed. Her mind will continue fragmenting until she has a brain hemorrhage or until she looses hold on what reality she is living in. The truth is that we don't have much time to do this," he relayed.

"That's why you told Poppy to give her a sedative," Minerva recalled quietly.

"I don't usually ask for help, but I think in this instance two pairs of eyes are better than one," he remarked as they entered his study.

Minerva nodded. "I'll help you look for the potion."

The two perused through a few boxes stuffed with dusty files and took a break for dinner. After a hurried supper, they resumed their work. He was about to start on a new box when she placed the recipe for the potion he had been looking for in front of him. He took it and nodded. "I can carry on from here," he told her frankly.

She left him and headed back to her rooms. The chess pieces had just been set up when she heard a familiar knock at her door. Albus stood there as she opened it, smiling. "Hello, my dear, you gave the book to Severus I assume?"

Nodding, she invited him inside and poured him a cup of mint tea. She sat across from him and he watched her, noting a slightly distracted expression. "Is something on your mind, Tabby?"

Steam rose from the tea as she took a few sips. "Our guest did not have amnesia. We took her to Poppy and she discovered that a memory charm had been used."

"So there is a chance that we could have the real Heryn O'Sheen with us again?" he inquired, allowing her to begin the game.

"Yes. But Severus informed me that the memory charm must be removed soon before it causes any more damage to her. I helped him look for a potion that would assist him," she mentioned.

After a few pawn moves, Albus told his bishop where to move on the board. "I'm surprised that he asked you."

"Oh, he didn't ask. I simply volunteered to save him the trouble of asking, though he did come close," she relayed as she studied the board.

Albus raised a skeptical eyebrow. "That still does not sound much like Severus. I assume that the situation with the former professor's memory has changed to require urgency?"

Her eyes held a deep concern for the Elvish woman as her knight pulverized his bishop. "Yes, apparently if the problem is not corrected soon, she could loose her grasp on reality altogether or there could be serious damage to her brain. Therefore, Severus told Poppy to give her a sedative."

Minerva won the game and walked to the door with Albus. They lingered for a moment and he cupped her face in his hands. Then he kissed her soundly. "Goodnight, Tabby. I am planning to owl the Ministry of Magic again to see if anything has changed."

She smiled warmly. "Goodnight, Albus. Don't stay up too late. You need your sleep almost as much as I do."

They shared a tender kiss. "And I thought I was supposed to be watching your health," he quipped. She smiled with amusement and the two parted company. Minerva wandered how Severus was doing as she prepared for bed.

The Potions Master had successfully brewed the potion along with another sleeping draught and carefully walked to the Elvish woman's rooms in order to give her the mixture. _I do hope that this idea works. I wonder if she finally understands how much I have missed her_, he thought to himself as he entered her rooms. He found her on the couch, reading the book that Minerva had dropped off earlier in the day.

He cleared his throat and she looked up. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks. The sedative wore off and I figured I should take a look at the book while it's sitting here," she replied.

Nodding, he sat down next to her and showed her the grey liquid in the triangular vial. "This is the potion I was telling you about earlier. Unfortunately we will not know the outcome until morning. I have also brought you another potion to help you sleep."

"Thank you," she stated as she accepted both potions. In an hour she had prepared herself for bed and he watched as she drank both potions to monitor any immediate negative affects. She drifted off to sleep peacefully while he elected to spend the night on the couch yet again.

(my thanks to Quill of Minerva, brokentoy19, Lady Jolly, Leta McGotor, and S.S.S.570 for reviewing :D)


	11. Waking to reality

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, and ideas (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. All Elf-related topics, the Elvish language, references to staff magic, and any other Lord of the Rings nouns belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and the Elvish dictionary at Nevrast. The titles of the chapters were inspired by "Once Upon a December" from the cartoon movie _Anastasia_. Professor Heryn O'Sheen is mine.

Chapter 11: Waking to reality.

Severus woke in the early hours of the morning and could not fall asleep again. He made an effort to distract himself by attempting to read the book containing wizards' incantations. A few hours later, his ears picked up light footsteps and he wheeled around to see her wandering out of her bedroom.

She looked around the room and seemed to absorb every intricate detail, lightly brushing the wood curio items with her fingers. When she glanced at the piano, a smile spread across her face. "This is the most realistic dream I have ever had," she said to herself, not realizing that Severus was in the room.

Clearing his throat, he watched her turn and stare at him, wide-eyed, as if she did not believe that she could be looking at him. Her footsteps were soft and cautious, as if she was approaching an apparition. "Oh Merlin," she whispered. "Surely I must be dreaming. You're how I have remembered you, always all in black and looking so serious."

He reached out and cupped her face in his hands for a moment, looking directly into her violet eyes as they blinked several times. Her entire composure, as well as her expression had changed from the woman he had known during the previous evening and over the past few days. She seemed softer and more certain of herself. To his surprise, she reached out a hand to tentatively touch his face. "My Severus, are you real? Am I really here, or is this just another dream I'll wake up from, knowing I'm missing something but not knowing what?"

Time seemed to freeze for them for a solitary instant. _I think it really is her this time_. "Heryn?" he asked in a whisper passionately. She smiled and nodded.

When she reached out a hand to move a strand of black hair out of his eyes, he watched her with curiosity. "In some ways, you still look the same as I have always known you to be, but as I look closer, you seem to have grown older. I shouldn't be finding so many frown lines on you," she commented. Her hand never left his face as they abruptly hugged each other tightly.

"The potion worked!" he exclaimed.

She smirked. "You doubted my expertise in teaching you how to make it?"

He shook his head and grinned, happy to hold her in his arms again. He led her to the couch and they sat. "Never, I just doubted myself and my luck in such matters."

"As you can see, you had little reason to lose confidence in yourself, my Severus," she commented. How he loved that old endearment of hers.

"Do you remember anything about the last eight years?" he inquired, unsure of how deeply the memory charm had affected her.

The fear and shock her eyes conveyed were heightened by the tighter grip she had on his arm. "You are telling me that eight years have passed? I never realized that it had been that long!"

"I have, and it felt like eight decades," he told her flatly.

She sighed and looked into his haunting brown eyes. "I felt so lost, like my memory was there, but out of reach." She leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his. "I remember how you looked at me when I had first returned. I am alive, my Severus. And I plan to stay for quite a while. You cannot know how thoroughly I have missed you. I would dream of someone who loved me, but wake to find myself alone and confused," she breathed.

"You'll never have to feel that way again if I have anything to do with it," he told her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her hungrily. She responded and gripped his robes and they parted at last for oxygen.

Her eyes met his again and she smiled warmly. "It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"I've wanted to do that for so bloody long," he whispered. They kissed again ardently until a knock interrupted them.

Grinning as they pulled away to answer the door, she simply said, "This castle is just as I have remembered it: never a moment's peace."

He opened the door to Minerva. "What do you want?" he asked, still a bit gruff from having slept on the couch again.

Heryn came up behind him. "Oh, there's no need to be such a grouch," she scolded.

Minerva looked at the two and raised an eyebrow. "I came to see how the patient was doing and whether or not she was back to her old self."

"As you can see, Minerva, I am very much restored," Heryn stated.

The older woman beamed. "That is indeed wonderful news. Will you two be joining us for breakfast?" she inquired.

Severus answered. "Yes, but first I think it would be best for her to see Poppy to ensure that the memory charm is indeed gone."

Minerva nodded and left. It was then that Heryn glanced down at her outfit, realizing that she still wore a nightgown, this one a scarlet colour. "I think I ought to change before I go anywhere," she stated.

"I think I ought to change my robes as well. I will return shortly," he responded.

They walked to the infirmary after they had changed robes. He wore his usual black garb while she wore an oceanic blue. Poppy greeted them with a small smile. "You look as though you are feeling better."

"We want to be certain that the memory charm is gone," Severus conveyed.

The medwitch nodded and instructed Heryn to sit down in a chair for a moment. After a few quick diagnostic spells, the medwitch looked up at her two guests. "She is fine, more than fine. The memory charm and all traces of it are gone."

"I cannot express how glad we are to hear that," Heryn exclaimed, answering for Severus, who had remained silent with a hand on her shoulder.

She and Severus left the infirmary and entered the Great Hall for breakfast. As they walked to their seats, Heryn noticed the twinkling blue eyes of the Headmaster. "How are you this morning, Professor?" he asked as she sat.

Smiling at him, she spoke. "I have regained full control of my faculties, if that is what you are asking. Yes, Albus, it's really me this time."

"That is truly wonderful news. You and Severus must join us after breakfast to continue assessing the current situation," he remarked as everyone began eating their blueberry waffles.

After the delicious meal, all four met in Albus' study again. Severus and Heryn sat on the sofa while Albus and Minerva took the chairs on both sides of it. Albus sat closest to Heryn. "Professor O'Sheen, would you like us to continue where we left off in current events, or would you like to be refreshed on a few aspects?"

"I appreciate your concern and yes, I would like to be reminded of a few things. My memories here are a bit dodgy, mostly due to the splits," Heryn replied.

Minerva scooted forward in her chair. "The Ministry of Magic sent us a Middle Earth expert because a man who stole a staff and a few other artifacts from that time period was headed for the school. You and Severus have been working together to find ways to defend Hogwarts and locate what could be Saruman's staff," she began.

The former Potions Mistress put her hands up. "I already know that part. Tell me about the man who is headed in this direction."

Albus replied. "His name is Byron Hornet, a former student of yours, with an odd purple discoloration on his face and a tattoo-"

Her eyes grew wide as she listened and then interrupted him. "He had a tattoo of a snake! The reason that the image imprinted itself in my mind clearer than anything else was because it was that last thing I saw before…" Heryn paused as comprehension dawned on her. The Potions Master noted how her irritation about the situation had increased. "Before he placed the memory charm on me! It was him! All these years and it was him!" her voice had grown louder.

"Heryn, do you have any idea why-" Severus started to speak, but she interrupted him.

He knew that her temper had once again flared up, and this time had the potential to be worse than the last. Her long wavy hair had been simply left down, but now the ends of it rose slightly, as if by static electricity, crackling. Her anger had begun to radiate from her. Finally her fist contacted with the wooden coffee table, leaving a few cracks originating at a center point and causing everyone else to stare in shock.

"That man stole eight years of my life!" she declared.

Though anger had begun to boil inside of him as well, Severus reached out and firmly grasped her shoulders. "It's a pity that one of us has to be rational," he said through gritted teeth. "Heryn, listen to me. I know you are enraged at what's happened, as am I. We need to figure out why he chose you."

She took two deep breaths and faced him. "Thank you, my Severus, for reminding me what is most important." She closed her eyes for a moment to recall what had happened during the battle. "I remember being separated from everyone else. He and I were firing curses back and forth. Then I blocked a curse from someone behind me. Hornet used the action to his advantage and that is when he placed the memory charm on me. I think I caught him escaping the battle. But there is more to this, if you'll give me another minute."

"Take your time, it will return to you," Albus commented.

She glanced away from the others and her eyes fell on the window. Raindrops were plummeting to the earth quickly and frequently. "I had discovered by accident that he was not an ordinary student. The reason for his potion accident involved what he was making. He was dabbling in the dark arts and I did not realize it soon enough. However, when he tried to make a different potion than the rest of his classmates, I began to suspect something. The purple marks did not go away because of the dark nature of his potion. A few days later I met with him to discuss his issues and he informed me that he was a direct descendent of Saruman. That is all."

"It would explain why he is after the staff here," Minerva added.

"Apparently you knew too much," Severus stated dryly.

Heryn ran her fingers through her hair. "I think what we need to find out is how my new information will affect the current situation."

Albus faced her. "How much of your Middle Earth studies do you recall?"

"All of them, and if I remember Mr. Hornet correctly, he will want to attack us in the old way with an army of something," she relayed.

Severus stood. "Then I recommend that we begin preparing for the worst. Heryn, I believe we have a wand to learn about and incantations to practice."

She nodded and followed him out, noting approval from Albus and Minerva. "I can't tell you how glad I am to see her back," the Transfiguration professor mentioned.

The Headmaster nodded in agreement. "Yes, and she is already doing wonders for Severus. When our current situation has been dealt with, I shall see to finding her a permanent position again."

Minerva cleared her throat. "Speaking of our current position, has Fudge sent you anything on the whereabouts of Mr. Hornet?"

Albus shook his head and sighed. "He still has no idea. I think I caught him up too late though. Something's a bit off regarding the letter."

He handed it to her and watched as her eyes moved back and forth over the scrawled writing. She raised an eyebrow and looked up at him. "This is not Fudge's writing," she stated bluntly.

"Perhaps it is his secretary's?" Albus suggested.

Minerva glanced at the note a second time and then shook her head adamantly. "No. I have seen other notes and letters from the Ministry of Magic and no one there writes like this."

She had hoped he would see what she had spotted, but his eyesight was not what it once was. "I am sorry, my dear, but I do not understand."

"Whoever wrote this did not dot their 'i's' though the style of the other letters is similar to ones that were sent," she pointed out.

He squinted and peered closely at the note. He finally noticed it and sat back in his chair. "What does it mean?"

"It means that someone intercepted your message and sent one back," she deduced. A realization struck her and she quickly headed toward Albus' desk to locate the other messages he had received.

"How many of them are false?" he asked, following her train of thought.

She looked up at him. "Only the last two are false, which means that we have no idea where Mr. Hornet is or what he is planning. We ought to warn Severus and Heryn."

"You are quite right, my dear. Let us hope that they have made progress with the staff," Albus remarked as they left his study and dashed toward the dungeons.

After finding no one, they tried to think of where else the other two may have gone. The Potions Master and former Potions Mistress were not in the library or in the staff room. Finally the elder pair decided to head toward the Astronomy tower on a hunch that the others would want a high window from which to test the staff.

Severus and Heryn stood in the Astronomy tower, attempting to use the staff. He had accidentally moved all of the astronomy equipment from one side of the room to the other with the staff. "How on earth am I supposed to use this blasted thing against an enemy when I don't even know how it works?" he complained.

She opened her mouth to comment, but then closed it in thought, staring at the black staff. "As I recall, you have an understanding of wandless magic. Perhaps controlling the staff is simpler than we thought. What if you treated the staff as an extension of your arm and tried to do with it what you would do with wandless magic?"

Turning the staff in his hand, he glanced over at her and leaned near her to kiss her cheek. "That is absolutely brilliant! I should have thought of it myself."

"What are old mentors for, my Severus?" she remarked with a grin as she held the book of wizards' incantations in her left hand.

"You were always more than a mentor to me," he countered, gently grasping her right hand. He pulled her toward him and they shared a light kiss.

When they pulled apart, she found the book to be heavy and pulled out her wand in order to levitate it as she leafed through the pages while he did as she suggested and practiced moving a few pieces of astronomy equipment to various places in the room. She glanced at him for a moment and nodded at seeing the idea work. As the book began to hover, she looked at her left hand, which held the wand.

Severus noticed her odd expression. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm left-handed!" Heryn exclaimed, as if surprised.

He snorted. "Of course you are. Why wouldn't you be?"

"I do not remember using my left hand while my memory was elusive," she mentioned.

Watching as she began scanning the book, he spoke. "I should have noticed that. Thinking back on it, you are correct. I tried to read that and I couldn't make heads or tails of it. Can we actually use it?"

"Yes. As you can probably guess, it's in a very old tongue that has not been used in a few thousand years. It does look difficult to pronounce," she added.

He sighed heavily and glared at the book. "How am I supposed to recite who knows what from that blasted book and work with the staff at the same time?"

"The wizards of old memorized these incantations," she paused, deep in thought. She was quiet for so long that he was about to tap her on the shoulder. Then she quickly looked over at him. "What does it matter if I am the one to say the words as long as you are holding the staff?"

He eyed her incredulously. "Are you certain that it will work?"

At that moment she smiled at him as she had when he had been a student and had asked her about the value of goldenrod pollen. "Severus, there is only one way to find out, yes? I suggest we test it."

He nodded in agreement and she found a short incantation dealing with wind. As she read, he moved the staff accordingly and the wind did as it was told. "Well, at least we have something in our favour by which to defend things," he stated dryly. However, she knew from the look in his eyes that he was more than relieved at their discovery.

They were about to try a few other incantations when quick steps and gasped drew their attention to the stairwell. Albus and Minerva entered the room a moment later. "Something is dreadfully wrong," Heryn whispered.

"The school could be in grave danger, I'm afraid. The last two messages that we thought were from the Ministry of Magic were false," Albus informed them

"And we have no idea how close or far away Mr. Hornet is," Minerva added.

"Thank you for telling us. Though I recall setting up preliminary defense around the castle, we need to prepare ourselves for what is to come. He may try…" Heryn trailed off as they heard a loud sound resembling thunder and pots banging together outside.

"What the deuce is that noise?" Severus asked, heading to the window. His eyes widened in shock as he caught sight of the Orc army outside marching toward Hogwarts.

(my thanks to TartanPhoenix, brokentoy19, excessivelyperky, Lady Jolly, Leta McGotor, and S.S.S.570 for reviewing :D)


	12. Dancing bears, painted wings

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, and ideas (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. All Elf-related topics, the Elvish language, references to staff magic, and any other Lord of the Rings nouns belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and the Elvish dictionary at Nevrast. The titles of the chapters were inspired by "Once Upon a December" from the cartoon movie _Anastasia_. Professor Heryn O'Sheen is mine.

Chapter 12: Dancing bears, painted wings.

"Tell me someone has a plan," Severus demanded flatly.

Heryn grabbed his sleeve. "I know how he made the Orcs. We can do the same thing and then the armies can fight each other."

He raised an eyebrow. "To what purpose?"

"If our army can distract his, then we can attack him directly once we locate him," she reminded.

Minerva cleared her throat to remind Severus and Heryn that she and Albus were still present. "Can you do that from here?"

Severus looked over at Heryn quizzically as she shook her head. "We do not have the means for creating an Orc army like that of the original Saruman. An army to match the one coming toward us must be procured on the ground level. If you'll give me a moment," she paused and quickly began thumbing through the book, "here it is. I've found the incantation," she informed him.

"So you are telling me that I cannot have you remain safely in this castle while I handle the problem outside?" he questioned. She nodded and he sighed with reluctance. "So be it."

From the Astronomy tower, though they could see the oncoming army, they could not see Hornet and he finally realized that their only choice was to leave the castle. She carried the book as he held the staff and they proceeded through the castle, out into the courtyard and out to the field of battle. "I need to see this through to the end and we both know it. I want to see that man finished!" she attempted to explain.

He suddenly stopped in front of the small door that would lead them outside. She raised an eyebrow and also stopped. Then he leaned toward her and kissed her soundly. "Before we go out there and face who knows what, I want you to know that I love you, with every fiber of my being," he confessed in a quiet tone.

"I know, and I love you too, my Severus. You will not have to grieve for me this time. I do not plan to let him get the best of me a second time," she conveyed with her usual assertive confidence.

Looking into her eyes, he hoped that his own expression relayed the depth of emotion he felt for her. "Good, now let's go," he said simply.

They headed out of the door and began making an Orc army by using soil, grass, illusion projections, and the ghosts of old loyalties of fallen Orcs that were tied to the black staff. Soon they had their own army to direct toward the approaching enemy. The armies looked almost identical with the exception of the skin colour. Hornet's army appeared in shades of green while the other army was brown.

"Why do the armies look different?" Severus asked Heryn.

She watched the approaching army in silence for a moment. Suddenly her eyes widened and she quickly faced him. "The elements that made his army are slightly different than ours. We may have a bit of a problem because the other army will last longer. Though I am not quite sure what he used, the green shades are linked to healthy plants."

"Then how do you suggest we defeat the oncoming foes?" he asked sharply.

"We will just have to keep maintaining them with magic, yes?" she recommended.

He sighed heavily and nodded. "I suppose that the only way this could possibly get any worse would be if it rained."

The two proceeded as planned, helping the army with magic. After watching the Orcs fight for a while, Heryn and Severus still had not seen Hornet. Abruptly a ray of orange light shot out from just beyond their sight. It hit the Astronomy tour and the roof burst into flames. "Of all the bloody things to happen, things just got worse," the Potions Master spat.

"The protection spells should have been stronger than that!" the Elvish woman relayed. Her face grew pale as she recalled a few details. "Albus and Minerva were there!"

"Then we just have to hope that they escaped," he responded stoically, attempting to mask his own worry.

Watching the battle from the tower, Minerva pulled Albus to the window and pointed to a wooded area just over a nearby hill. "Look! Along with the Orcs, there are eleven people coming to harm them, and one of them has a staff!" she exclaimed.

He nodded gravely. "We've got to warn them."

They were leaving the tower when the roof caught fire. Minerva jumped and faced Albus. "I thought that was not supposed to happen."

"My dear, it seems that we have assumed too much," he replied as he felt the heat from the fire.

After saying a quick spell to put out the fire, they decided to seek out the other two in their animagus forms. Severus and Heryn were still attempting to help their army, each trying to distract him or herself from the possibility of casualties in the Astronomy tower, not noticing that the fire had been extinguished. Heryn was reading off the last bit of an incantation when she noticed a tabby cat with green eyes at her feet. A moment later a snowy owl with blue eyes flew near her.

"Severus, they are out here with us!" Heryn told him with an elated smile.

He turned and watched as the tabby cat and snowy owl changed into Albus and Minerva. "We came to warn you about the eleven people coming from that direction," the Transfiguration professor explained, pointing over a hill.

"One of them has a sky-blue staff also," Albus added.

"He has finally decided to show himself then? Severus, this man has caused enough trouble and the matter needs to be resolved now," Heryn asserted in a calm tone.

A beam of light shot forth from over the hill, but it missed the four. They were all on alert, ready to stand and do battle with these other wizards. The Orcs no longer needed as much help, allowing Severus and Heryn to devote more attention to the new threats. Curses were fired and blocked on both sides, a bluish haze beginning to rise around them. Colourful beams of light shot from both sides began to look like a prism's rainbow, though these colours were far more deadly. Heryn spotted Hornet for an instant, but then he seemed to dart off in another direction.

After blocking a few curses and managing to stop two of their assailants, Heryn turned to warn Severus, but a curse brought down a nearby tree between them and caused it to burst into flames, separating the two. More smoke began to rise and the Elvish woman had lost sight of everyone. She dashed toward what seemed like a clearing in an attempt to see around the smoke.

However, suddenly she found herself surrounded by burning wood and a hot dense smoke she could not see through at all. A small hole tripped her and a loose branch crashed into her left leg as she fell. As she stood, she knew it was not broke, but the leg did hurt. The only thing she knew regarding her location was that the Forbidden Forest was not far away. She gasped and coughed as a figure clad in black holding a blue staff emerged from the dense smoke. He pointed the staff directly at her and shot the wand out of her hand.

"I don't expect that you would remember me, but I remember this, you and me in a duel. It's pathetic how we find ourselves back here again," the man said snidely.

She glanced over her shoulder to see where the wand had landed. "Mr. Hornet, I would suggest that you stop pointing that weapon at a professor before you face the man with a far superior staff in battle."

Having expected her comment to provoke him, she was not surprised when he used the staff to throw her a few feet away, not into the fire though. She quickly picked up her wand before he noticed. "It would seem that you've finally gotten rid of my memory charm," he spat.

"Why did you use a memory charm instead of killing me?" she interrogated, summoning all her strength to use against the man that had stolen eight years of her life.

He sneered at her. "That would have been too easy. I wanted you to suffer for a while for your incompetence at not being able to reverse this," he gestured to the purple discoloration on his face.

She tried to cast a body-biding spell, but it was quickly deflected. "It was not my incompetence that prevented the reversal. Side effects from dark magic leave marks that cannot be removed. It was your own doing, not mine." She sounded rational, despite her temper rising.

He did not see a means of escape for her and decided to gloat before finishing her off. "I wanted revenge, against you and against this school for not allowing me to pursue the dark arts. It's too bad that my deatheater friends couldn't have done the job for me. They needed something to do after hiding since the war. Once again I find you in my way, Professor O'Sheen. I suppose there really is only one way to end this."

The smoke made searching for an escape difficult. _I know I cannot beat him because of the power the staff gives him, but if only there was less smoke… wait. I can use and old muggle magic trick_, she thought to herself. "No, you will not get the best of me twice," she stated sternly. Just as he moved to aim the staff, a cloud of smoke floated in front of her and she seemed to disappear.

Heryn had managed to crawl out from under the smoke. Noticing that the other staff members had joined the battle, she tried to stand and walk toward them. But she only succeeded in a stagger before falling again. Rolanda Hooch spotted her and wanted to take her back to the castle and up to the infirmary.

"No, Severus needs me! I am the only one who can read the wizards' incantations for him!" she protested.

Rolanda sighed. "You won't be much help to anyone in the condition you're in. He has all of us to help him and I know he would appreciate it more if you went to the infirmary," she coaxed.

Severus noticed the other staff members joining in the battle and looked around for the Elvish woman. "Minerva, where is Heryn? I won't lose her again!" Severus exclaimed harshly.

The Transfiguration professor grabbed his shoulders. "She will be fine. I saw her being taken to the infirmary. Things will be different this time, but Severus-" she cut herself off and gripped his collar, attempting to pull him down. "Severus duck!"

(I apologize for not posting sooner, I was on vacation and the Internet was dodgy; my thanks to excessivelyperky, S.S.S.570, Leta McGotor, and Lady Jolly for reviewing :D)


	13. Someone holds me safe and warm

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, and ideas (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. All Elf-related topics, the Elvish language, references to staff magic, and any other Lord of the Rings nouns belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and the Elvish dictionary at Nevrast. The titles of the chapters were inspired by "Once Upon a December" from the cartoon movie _Anastasia_. Professor Heryn O'Sheen is mine.

Last Chapter 13: Someone holds me safe and warm.

Severus ducked out of the way as a beam shot forth from the blue staff. The Potions Master finally got a good look at his enemy. "Is that the best you can do?" he chastised as he fired a spell from the black staff.

Hornet was not fast enough and ended up on his back. However, Severus soon realized that the man had an advantage: he had many ancient incantations memorized. "I thought you were smarter than that. But I suppose that being trained by that wench I shouldn't expect much."

The Potions Master's anger had begun to burn. He shot fire from his staff, but Hornet quickly jumped out of the way, barely missing the flames that appeared directly in front of him. A few beads of sweat even ran down his face due to the fire's heat. Hornet realized that his opponent would not be put off easily.

"Did you really thing I'd let you live after what you've said and after what you did to her? Your luck can only last so long," Severus seethed.

Hornet tried to trip Severus with a gust of wind, but he jumped out of the way. "Do I look like I am so easily beaten? You underestimate me," Hornet sneered.

While the two dueled each other, the faculty fought off the deatheaters. Curses fired back and forth, dodged or blocked by counter-curses. As Severus blocked another attack from Hornet, a deatheater aimed his wand to fire, but Hornet shoved the man to his right. "No, this is between him and me!" he declared.

Hornet attacked Severus again. The Potions Master moved, but it still knocked the wind out of him. _I must find a way to defeat him. If only I could get rid of his staff, then he would be much easier to eliminate_, Severus reasoned. He looked away from his opponent long enough to see where they were. He soon realized that they had been moving toward the forbidden forest. _Too bad there isn't anything useful in there_, Severus thought.

But as he stepped backward on one of the roots, something he did not expect happened. He could sense a consciousness in the trees. _Of course! She said that this was also Fangorn Forest, which means that there may still be Ents here, even if they are dormant_, he reasoned. _If only there was a way to wake them up._

As he watched Hornet shoot wind and objects in his direction, Severus realized what he could try to wake the Ents. He glared at his opponent and hollered, "I thought you had incantations memorized. From what I've seen you do, I'm certain that you've already forgotten how to use the fire spell!"

The other man laughed maliciously. "So you really want to see what this can do? I'll show you fire!"

The flames shot forth from the blue wand and Severus was able to make enough of a shield to step back and left, moving out of the way. Hitting a nearby tree, Hornet swore under his breath and stopped the spell. "You don't stand much of a chance against me. Give up and hand me my family's staff before I burn down this whole forest!"

Severus quickly doused the fire on the tree. He did not need to respond to his enemy as both felt the ground shaking. The tree next to him pulled its massive base from the ground and began to walk, looking at the two wizards with extreme scrutiny. The great creature picked up Severus and sniffed him. "Yooouuu shhhouldn't be playiiing with that staaaafff, but you'rrre not the onnnne," he said in a slow drawl before setting Severus back on the ground.

Then he reached over and lifted up Hornet, sniffing him as well. "Yooooouuuu wrrreak of Saauurumaaan!"

Hornet stared at the Ent in shock. Severus looked up and smirked. "Someone didn't read his history book of Middle Earth."

"If you think for a minute that I'm intimidated by a mere tree, you are mistaken," Hornet exclaimed with false bravado.

His face became ashen white as he saw five other Ents walk up to join their companion. The Potions Master knew Hornet was petrified and waited with interest to see what the Ents would do. The Ent holding Hornet snatched the staff from his hands. "We willlll beeee taking thiiiis. Doooo with him whaaaat you wiiish," he said as he dropped the man to the ground. The Ent then broke the blue staff as if it was nothing more than a toothpick. The breaking of the staff caused his army of Orcs to immediately vanish.

Severus smirked as he levitated Hornet. "I was going to kill you, but now I'm pondering if Azkaban would serve as a better punishment. First though, you will suffer for what you put _her_ through."

Hornet suddenly found himself thrown to the ground, permanently mute as well as deaf. Severus strolled over to him and mouthed what he was about to say so that Hornet understood. "You hindered her ability to respond as herself by taking away her memory, but she did not know the full extent of what she had lost. I have hindered your ability to respond and have left your mind fully intact to know what you have lost."

The rest of the faculty had finished off the deatheaters and Albus approached Minerva. "My dear it's finally over," he commented.

She brushed her lips with his. "Yes, and that feeling of gloom and doom has finally left me."

He noticed that her bun was in disarray with tendrils of her ebony-grey hair falling out. Using his wand, he put her hair back in place and studied her face to see if she was indeed alright. Then he pulled her into a warm embrace. "I want you to go see Poppy. You should not have been out here fighting a battle like this in your state of health." She nodded and walked back toward the castle.

Severus strode over to Albus. "What should we do with the surviving deatheaters and Hornet?" the younger man inquired. "I want him in Azkaban."

"I will contact the Ministry of Magic and see that they do something with them. We might as well leave them petrified for now. Byron Hornet will get his comeuppance. Now I believe there is a certain lady you wish to see in the infirmary?" Albus mentioned. Severus nodded and used his staff to make his own army disappear, surprised that it had worked without the incantation. Then he headed over to the castle, fully conscious of his injuries as he attempted to hurry.

Minerva and Poppy stood on each side of the bed when Heryn awoke. Poppy had given her a catnap potion to examine her injuries more efficiently. The Elvish woman sat up to face to concerned witches, eying her with scrutiny. She raised an eyebrow and looked from one to the other.

"Do either of you have a reason for analyzing me?" she asked dryly.

The Transfiguration professor spoke first. "Do you know who you are?"

"And who we are?" the medwitch followed suit.

Heryn sighed. "I am Professor Heryn O'Sheen. Minerva, Poppy, I can assure you that nothing was done to my head this time. You will tell me what happened regarding the battle, yes?"

"Hornet and the deatheaters that are not dead will be taken care of by the Ministry of Magic and most likely sent to Azkaban," Minerva explained.

Suddenly Heryn's eyes widened as she looked around the room frantically. "Minerva, where is Severus?"

They heard the door open and an exhausted figure in black robes staggered into the infirmary. Before Poppy could stop her, Heryn leaped off her bed and made her way toward him. "My Severus, you are alright. How-" pain shot through her leg and she would have collapsed onto the ground had he not caught her.

"You were always one of the worst patients. The healing spell for that leg isn't finished yet, so you need to return to your bed," Poppy ordered.

Severus, not wanting to let Heryn notice his own injuries, started to pick her up to place her on the bed. Poppy immediately stopped him. "And you are in no condition to try an stunt like that! Who knows what you broke! She can get there herself and you might as well sit down next to her," she growled.

Poppy knew that he would never agree to be unconscious for a diagnosis and cast her usual spell on him. After learning what his injuries were, the medwitch walked away to find him a few potions. Heryn took the opportunity to look over at Severus. "How did it end?" she whispered, caressing his cheek with her hand.

"I remembered you telling me that the Forbidden Forest was actually Fangorn Forest and I decided to use a hunch about Ents still being there. Fortunately for us I was correct and the Ents stopped Hornet. They also broke his wand. He will see the justice he deserves," he recalled as he wrapped his arms around her.

She did not miss how he had said the last phrase. Knowing Severus as well as she did, she knew that he had already dealt some sort of punishment to Hornet. She was considering asking him about it until he pulled her close and kissed her soundly. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she responded and the two did not part until and impatient medwitch cleared her throat.

"Ahem, there will be plenty of time for that later. Now, Severus, you have a few broken ribs aside from numerous bruises and scratches. You will take what I give you and stay put for a while. Don't give me that 'I am the Potions Master and I don't have time for this' look. And the same goes for you, Heryn," Poppy instructed.

They both smirked before he downed the potions. Minerva shook her head and smiled at the two as she left in search of Albus. The Headmaster was sitting in his study, looking out of the window at the battleground. He turned when she entered. "Albus, what did the Ministry do with Hornet and the others?" she questioned.

"All of them will spend the rest of their lives in Azkaban," he mentioned, not looking her in the eyes.

She moved to meet his gaze and sighed, shaking her head. "What aren't you telling me?"

His features seemed downcast as he spoke. "Hornet left mute as well as deaf, and it was irreversible."

Minerva gasped. "Severus?"

Albus nodded. "He has always had is own ways of retribution. As you know, to make something irreversible requires dark magic, and such magic has physical repercussions, broken bones."

"And you don't know if you can let him go unpunished for using dark magic, but you also know that it was mostly for her," Minerva assessed.

He nodded. "As usual, you are quite right. I do not know what ought to be done."

She smiled. "There is a reason that I am Deputy Headmistress. I am here to give you suggestions when you run out of ideas. I think it would be a suitable punishment to allow him to teach only half his classes. Professor O'Sheen could teach the rest. You did want to find her a position if I recall."

The twinkle appeared in his blue eyes. "That is an excellent idea."

She nodded. "I am sure they will be pleased."

"You've come from the infirmary; how are they, Tabby?" he asked.

"They are both fine, each as horrible a patient as ever," she admitted

He chuckled. "It's good to know that even with a constantly changing world, some things remain the same. Those two were meant to be together from the start."

His hand caressed Minerva's cheek and she purred, relieved that the battle was over and content that the man she loved had survived. "Were they the only ones?" she whispered. With that he leaned toward her and captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

On Monday morning, Albus stood at the head table and made his announcements before the students began eating their breakfast. "First of all, I would like to introduce you to Professor Heryn O'Sheen. She was previously introduced as 'Moira' because her memory had been tampered with. She was once the Potions Mistress here. My second announcement applies to the potions classes. Professor Snape will only be teaching the first years, third years, and N.E.W.T. level Potions. All other Potions classes will be taught by Professor O'Sheen."

The students simply nodded and began to eat, not knowing whether or not they should be terrified or relieved. The idea of having two Potions teachers was rather disconcerting. Severus turned to Heryn and smirked, noting the students' reactions. "This year is going to be very interesting indeed," he whispered.

Her first class of the day were second-year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. She smiled broadly as they filed in, overjoyed to finally be teaching again. The students looked at her, petrified and suspicious. She forced herself not to laugh. _Severus must terrify them_, she realized. The lessons went well and the students were pleasantly surprised by Heryn's McGonagall-like teaching style. She was prim and proper, sticking to the rules, but there was a levity in the room that had not been there before.

Sinking into her chair as the last class left, she sighed with contentment, and a hint of fatigue. Glancing up, she noticed Severus in the back of the room and smiled warmly. He walked toward her and crosses his arms. "I hope you know you're ruining the feared reputation of 'Potions Master.' And I will bet that you did not even take away a single house point," he snapped, mocking disgust.

She saw right through him and laughed. "Severus, I have not ruined your reputation. I have merely revived my own. The students will still cower in terror as you walk by, and don't think I have not been observant in how they react to you. Care to enlighten a befuddled Elf with something other than criticism?"

He grinned mischievously and bent down to her for a quick kiss. She raised an eyebrow and wondered if he intended to close the classroom door. "Most students would not dare take a look in the Potions classroom. After all, most of my classes are tomorrow. And in all honesty, I forgot how much fun it was to watch you at work. You always did have a way of making the simplest project seem fascinating."

Standing, she walked around the front of the desk to face him. "Were you fascinated by the project or the teacher?" she asked with a grin that mirrored his.

"If I didn't know better, I would say you were flirting with me, Professor O'Sheen," Severus teased.

Heryn laughed again. "Now why would I do a silly thing like that when it would certainly ruin your reputation?"

He smiled back and kissed her hand. "Will you join me for dinner tonight? I have something special planned."

"Of course, you have my curiosity," she replied.

Dinner was fettuccini Alfredo with chicken, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts. "This is absolutely delicious. Someone must think this is a special occasion, yes?" Heryn remarked.

Severus merely smirked and continued eating. After the meal, she cleaned the dishes with magic and put them away. As she adjusted the plates in his cupboard, she turned back to him for a moment. "Are you aware that your students call you an 'overgrown bat' and a 'greasy git?' Honestly Severus, what have you been doing in my absence?" she questioned wryly with a mischievous smirk.

He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Then he began kissing her neck. "I've spent nearly every day missing you."

She turned and her lips met his. After they parted for breath, he reached into his pocket and removed a small wooden box with a Lothlorien leaf design carved on the top. "Heryn, I don't want to miss you anymore. I should have asked this years ago, but I wasn't ready. I have regretted it so many times over. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Heryn O'Sheen, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

Her breath caught in her throat as she opened the box and found a simple diamond on a ring of Black Hills gold, with leaf designs. She allowed him to slip it onto her finger and he saw the depth of her love for him when he looked into her violet eyes. "My Severus, I love you, so very much. Yes, I will marry you." The box was set on the counter as they wrapped their arms around each other and kissed.

Heryn's mother and her three brothers came to the wedding along with the rest of the faculty. Her father had passed away several years ago, so she had asked Albus to give her away. Severus was too nervous to look anywhere else as he stood at the altar. When he finally faced her, he felt tongue-tied for what felt like hours, but it was only seconds. They said their vows and were married in a binding wizard's wedding, with a deep kiss at the end. Minerva caught the bouquet and laughed as Albus winked at her.

Because both were teaching Potions classes, they only went on a honeymoon for the weekend, in Greece. They decided that it would be more comfortable for the students if they wore the wedding bands, but Heryn would still go by 'Professor O'Sheen.' The new class situation continued to flow smoothly as time passed.

It had been four months since their marriage when Heryn walked out of their room and immediately placed her hand over her nose. She looked over at Severus as he brewed air freshener that a few staff members had asked for. "Severus, what on earth is that smell?"

"Honeysuckle and lilac, I've made this before and it didn't bother you. Perhaps you should go see Poppy," he suggested.

She shook her head adamantly. "I'm alright, just tired. The smell is just overwhelming this morning."

He raised an eyebrow, but let the incident pass. Later that day she distributed a quiz to her fourth-years and took a seat as they began to write, knowing that it would take them the entire class time. The strange feeling of exhaustion had not left her as she watched the monotony of their scrawling. Sighing, she rested her head in her hands. She jerked her head up as she heard the bell ring, signaling the end of the class. Quizzes were placed on her desk and the students filed out of the room.

When she stood as the next class found their seats, a moment of dizziness swept over her and she extended her arm out to use her desk for balance. Fortunately the class had not noticed. Quizzes were distributed once she had composed herself. At the end of the day she walked briskly to the infirmary. Poppy looked over at her with curiosity as she entered.

"Is something bothering you?" the medwitch inquired.

The Potions Mistress nodded. "My sense of smell is more sensitive than usual, I was dizzy today, and I fell asleep in one of my own classes."

Poppy examined her and both were surprised at the diagnosis. Heryn decided to break the news to Severus over dinner. She made him tortellini with marinara sauce and garlic bread. He smiled when he came home to find a delicious dinner. "Dinner looks wonderful, and forgive my suspicious nature, but what's the occasion?" he asked.

He was surprised to see her blush. Then she smiled and walked over to him. "I fell asleep in the middle of my class while they were taking quizzes. I decided to visit Poppy to see that everything was well," she paused and met his gaze as he stood.

"And?" he encouraged, feeling slightly concerned.

She placed her hand over her abdomen. "You're going to be a father."

When he stared at her, wide-eyed with a look of disbelief, she had to resist the urge to laugh. After the shock wore off, he embraced her and kissed her passionately. Then he began twirling her around the room. "You know, I was already dizzy this morning and this isn't helping," she reminded with a wry smile.

He immediately stopped and then the two hugged. "I love you," was all he said.

The two sat down and ate their meal. Neither spoke until it was finished. "I will still be teaching Potions," she told him.

A look of concern flashed in his dark eyes. "Won't the fumes be harmful?"

She shook her head. "Poppy gave me five potions. The first three are vitamin mixtures and the other two are for immunities against the fumes."

"How long do we have?" he questioned.

"Another seven and a half months, as Poppy figured it," she replied.

"Then we ought to find a concealing charm soon," he mentioned.

She cleaned up the plates and shook her head. "The dangers are gone and I do not wish to worry about hiding things."

Severus huffed. "How soon do you want to tell the staff?"

"I would like to tell them at the next meeting," she responded.

Heryn and Severus sat in adjacent chairs at the next meeting, waiting anxiously as Albus finished his announcements. When the Headmaster was finally seated, Heryn stood. She looked behind her to see her husband still seated. "Come on, Severus. It's not as if I asked you to go square-dancing again."

He sighed and stood, hearing the rest of the staff snicker. "Your blasted memory's as good as an elephant's when it's working correctly," he grumbled.

"I'm sure you have a fascinating story about all this, Severus," Minerva began, "but I'd really like to know what Heryn wants to tell us."

Severus took both of Heryn's hands in his to give her more confidence. She smiled warmly at him and then faced the others. "We have some good news I thought we should share with you. Severus and I are going to be parents, you see." To their surprise, the staff applauded.

Minerva and Albus were the last in the room after the staff meeting. "Well, things have certainly turned out differently than I had expected," the Transfiguration professor assessed.

The Headmaster smiled broadly, his eyes twinkling. "I think things have turned out better than any of us had ever imagined."

"I suppose you are correct. I would like to hear that square-dancing story someday though," she smirked.

Albus had watched her closely throughout the meeting, wanting to tell her. As she began to walk toward the door, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back toward him. Then he lifted it to his lips for a kiss and after a moment dropped the hand. "My dear Tabby," he began softly, "not a day has gone by since you caught that bouquet that I did not long to ask for your hand in marriage. But I was too worried to tell you."

She rested her hands on his shoulders. "How could you ever think I would refuse?"

His heart soared as his arms slowly found their way around her waist. "Minerva McGonagall, you would make me the happiest wizard in all the western hemisphere if you would accept my hand in marriage. Will you marry me?" he proposed.

A broad grin spread across her face. "Yes! Albus I have wanted you to ask since I caught that bouquet!" she exclaimed. They moved toward each other for a passionate kiss.Neither wentdown to dinner until after their snogging session.

Heryn watched two children playing on the living room rug five years later. The boy's name was Augustus Enyal Snape. His hair matched his mother's, a wavy copper mess, but his dark brown eyes came from his father. Augustus was four, playing with his little sister, two years younger than him. Amaurea Alicia Snape had her father's obsidian black hair and her mother's violet eyes. Both children had the pointy Elvish ears. There mother took a drink of water and then set the cup back down on the table as she observed them.

Severus had been fully reinstated in his position as Potions Master, resuming all the classes when his second child was born. Heryn reluctantly stood, taking the empty glass back to the kitchen. Her back was aching again, but she knew it was time to stand up. Sitting had been far too comfortable. She was about to walk back into the living room when two hands caught her and began giving her a massage.

She sighed with contentment. "My Severus, you keep improving on that. It is much appreciated."

His hands moved to circle her abdomen and he felt a few kicks. "It is my duty to make you comfortable until this one is born, of course. I never thought for a moment that I would have a wife I cannot live without, and three wonderful children. How many more months?"

"Fortunately we only have to wait for two. I think this one will be a boy," she commented as she too rested her hand on her abdomen to feel a kick.

"I cannot wait to find out what houses they will all be in," Severus stated.

Heryn turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I want to savor each moment as it comes, my Severus," she whispered. He drew her to him and kissed her deeply, doing exactly as she had suggested.

Several years later, after Heryn had been given a permanent teaching position when she had finished caring for small children, she and Severus sat at the head table to watch the sorting ceremony. "Snape, Justin Estel," was the name called. An eleven-year-old boy with wavy copper hair and dark eyes sat on the stool. "Good gracious it's another Snape!" the hat began. "Who would have known that fatherhood would suit the old bat?"

Severus heard that and snorted. Heryn smirked and kissed his cheek, knowing that the students were more interested in the boy in the stool than the grouchy man in the background. "What do we have here? I see great intellect. You could do much with that, and you could join your brother and sister in Ravenclaw. Ah, then you have courage as well. My, you are an interesting one to place. Loyalty and cunning are part of you also. I think for now the best place to put you is… GRYFFINDOR!"

The Potions Master had made the mistake of taking a gulp of his water before the verdict was announced. He spit it out and stared in astonishment. Heryn smiled broadly and watched as her third and last child sat down with the rest of his new house. The she looked back at her husband. "You shouldn't look so surprised. We both have a great deal of courage within us, yes? I expected no less from the boy."

"I suppose that is one explanation," he grumbled.

"You're such a grouch," she exclaimed, swatting his arm playfully as they headed back to their quarters.

The two entered and he wrapped one arm around her waist after shutting the door. "I'm not always a grouch," he reminded her before kissing her neck again.

She turned and kissed his lips with passion. "No, you're not," she breathed when the kiss had ended. "Sometimes you are a gentleman and a scoundrel at the same time, but I have always loved you for it."

"Then I am thankful that some things never change," he murmured before kissing her again.

Fin…………………………………………………..

('Enyal' is 'remember,' 'Amaurea' means 'dawn,' and 'Estel' means 'trust;' this was a fun piece to write and I hope you all had fun reading it; my thanks to S.S.S.570, Leta McGotor for giving reviews since the beginning, and to miss McGonagle for reviewing :D)


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